Quail may be tiny birds but they pack a real flavor punch. Perfect for Valentine’s Day meal.
There’s something adorable about presenting your Valentine with their own whole bird. The easiest way (and messy) to eat a small quails is with your fingers 🙂 or you can carve it as turkey.
(Click on the photo to see it in a larger size)
Serve one quail per person as a starter or two as a main course.
Ingredients
4 whole quails
4 medium potatoes
2 carrots
2 medium onions
1 small bunch thyme
6-8 juniper berries
2 tbsp runny honey
2+2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper
Method
- If you’ve got frozen quail, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Take the quail out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Wipe the outside of the bird and inside the cavity, using kitchen paper.
- Season inside with salt&pepper, put in sprig of thyme and one juniper berry. Tie the legs together with string (optionally).
- Season birds with salt&pepper and thyme, brush with honey and 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Preheat oven to 200C. Put thinly sliced potatoes, carrots, onions, thyme and juniper berries into a roasting tin. Sprinkle with salt&pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Sit the quail on top and roast for 25 minutes more.
Enjoy!
milkandbun 
I have never had quail, it’s such a delicate and elegant bird. What a lovely Valentines meal.
Do quails taste like squabs? Or more like cornish hens, which taste just like chickens. In fact, I think cornish hens are just small chickens. But squabs taste more like ducks to me. Perfect recipe for Valentine’s, Mila. I wish I knew where to get quails from. Haven’t seen any around here. Btw, Mila, I recently started a blog party called Fiesta Friday. I would love for you to join us. Please say that you will! XOXO
I haven’t try squabs, but quail tastes like something between a duck and poussin (young chicken), and is worth to try 🙂
Guess what? I found quails, bought 6 of them! Will cook later today. I’m so excited. Come and join us at Fiesta Friday, Mila!
🙂 that’s awesome! Enjoy the day!
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