Recipe - Pan Roasted Quail With Port Sauce

MARINADE
One half cup Dry red wine
One fourth cup Good quality port (not too
sweet)
One fourth cup Olive oil
2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Maple syrup
2 tablespoon Lowsalt soy sauce
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon Cracked black pepper
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
Several sprigs of fresh
thyme, or
One fourth teaspoon Dried thyme
One half teaspoon Juniper berries
8 Quail, fresh, breast and
backbones removed
2 tablespoon Olive oil

PORT SAUCE
2 pound Poultry bones
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
1 Onion, minced
3 Ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 Bay leaf
One half teaspoon Dried thyme
1 Clove garlic, crushed
3 qt Water
One half cup Veal stock, or beef stock
1 cup Good quality port

FINAL ENRICHMENT
2 tablespoon Good quality port
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter

Using a wire whisk, combine the marinade ingredients in a stainless steel
bowl. Add the quail and rub thoroughly with the marinade, inside and out.
(Don't be afraid to use your hands.) Cover the bowl and refrigerate for
several hours or overnight.

The Port Sauce with which the quail will be served may be made while the
quail is marinating. Combine the bones, vegetables, and seasonings in a
roasting pan and roast in a 375 degrees oven for 2 hou rr, turning
occasionally, until everything is well browned. Transfer the bones and
vegetables to a heavy bottomed stock pot and cover with the water. Bring to
a boil, add the veal stock or beef broth , lower the heat to a simmer, and
cook 1 One half hours. Strain this rich stock into another sauce pan, add the
cup of port, and simmer again to the reduce liquid to 1One half cups. At this
point, the sauce ma y be cooled and refrigerated for up to two days. Rewarm
the sauce during the quail's preparation and add the final enrichment of
port and butter just prior to serving. This will both enhance the fina l
flavor and give the sauce a silken sheen.

To cook the quail, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of
olive oil in a cast iron or other heavy bottomed, ovenproof skillet over
medium heat. Drain the quail of excess marinade and pan roast, uncovered,
until mahogany in color (about 3 minutes on each side). Place the ovenproof
skillet and quail in the oven for 9 minutes. Serve immediately with the
port sauce.

From Michael's Place Show #ML1A27

Recipe by: Michael Lomonaco Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #579 by "Master
Harper Gaellon" gaellon@inch.com on Apr 19, 1997