Recipe - Roast Quail With Cranberry Madeira Sauce

A 12ounce bag fresh or
thawed frozen; (about 3 1/4
cups)
; cranberries
2/3 cup Firmly packed dark brown
sugar
One half cup Apple juice
One half cup Cranberry juice
1/3 cup Sercial Madeira
One fourth teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
One fourth teaspoon Ground ginger
One fourth teaspoon Dry mustard
1 cup Chicken broth
One half Stick unsalted butter; (1/4
cup)
The zest of 1 orange;
removed with a
; vegetable peeler
Twelve; (5 to 6ounce)
; quail, rinsed,
; patted dry, and the
; legs tied together
; with kitchen string
12 sl Homemadetype white bread;
each slice toasted
; and cut into a
; decorative shape

In a saucepan combine the cranberries, the brown sugar, the apple juice,
the cranberry juice, the Madeira, the nutmeg, the ginger, the mustard, 1/2
cup of the broth, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the zest, and salt and
pepper to taste, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture,
stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until it is thickened and the
berries have burst. Strain the glaze through a fine sieve into a bowl,
pressing hard on the solids and discarding them. The glaze may be made 1
day in advance, kept covered, and chilled, and reheated.

Transfer One half cup of the glaze to a small bowl and reserve it. In a large
ovenproof skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high
heat until the foam subsides, in it brown the quail, turning them, for 4
minutes, and arrange the quail breast side up. Baste the quail generously
with some of the remaining glaze and roast them in the top third of a
preheated 450F. oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat 400F. and roast the
quail, basting them with some of the remaining glaze every 10 minutes, for
40 minutes more, or until the leg meat is no longer pink. Transfer the
quail to a plate, discard the string, and pour off the fat in the skillet.

Deglaze the skillet with the remaining One half cup broth over moderately high
heat, scraping up the brown bits, stir in the reserved One half cup glaze, and
boil the mixture, whisking, until it is thickened. Strain the sauce through
a fine sieve into a heated sauceboat and season it with salt and pepper.
Arrange 2 of the toasts on each of 6 dinner plates, top each toast with 1
of the quail, and serve the sauce with the quail.

Serves 6.

Gourmet November 1990

Converted by MC_Buster.

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.