This is the entry I had in the Connoisseur’s Game Cookoff. I based it off of a quail recipe I found in my trusty copy of “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman, only I kicked it up a notch.
Ingredients:
6 semi-boned quails, halved
Moroccan Chardonnay Oil
Fresh ground pepper
Applewood smoked salt
Flour, for dredging
1 cup white wine
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 small container truffle butter
Roughly 1 tsp. minced thyme
(optional) minced parsley for garnish
Rinse, pat dry and halve your quails. In a large Dutch oven, heat your oil (about 2 tbsp.) and don’t worry if you can’t find the oil I used. Just use your favorite oil that has a light, but present, flavor.
Dredge quail halves in flour and then place in pot. Season the quail with salt and pepper (again, use your favorite salt if you don’t have smoked salt).
Regulate the heat so that the sensitive quail doesn’t burn. Flip quails to brown both sides. Add additional oil if necessary. Don’t forget to season both sides.
Remove the quail and deglaze the pan with wine, tomatoes, and thyme.
Bring this to a boil for a minute or two, and then add the truffle butter.
Once the butter melts, return the quail to the pot and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook 25-30 minutes, turning the quail occasionally. Remove quail and cook down sauce, if necessary, until the volume is half of what you started with. Then pour the sauce over the quail, garnish with the parsley if desired, and serve. It is savory and delicious!