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Quail

post #1 of 7
10/2/09 at 11:50am
Thread Starter 
I make a dish which was inspired by the movie "Like Water for Chocolate". (more like seduced by a meal)
Its a story of forbidden love that takes place on a ranch in Mexico near the Texas border in 1910, during the Mexican Revolution. (corny movie but the recipe was great)

To make a long story short, I made a dish with stuffed quail (apples and pine nuts)and a rose petal syrup.
I have made this dish for some years now as a signature dish. You may think it strange to mix these two together but it has the most robust flavors, intense colors, and its an absolute delight to the palate. Its served with carmalized parsnips and a dollop or two of red pepper mousse. I like to garnish the plate with candied rose petals ( for the details of course ).

This is my spin on quail, with the season fast approaching, does anyone have any recipes they would like to share ?

Petals
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post #2 of 7
10/2/09 at 1:35pm
Here are a few methods, all of which involve "spatchcocking." Hope you like:

Mix some inexpensive gin and orange juice in equal parts, then add enough salt to make a medium brine -- about 1/4 cup of table salt per quart of liquid.

Submerge the birds and allow them to brine for three to six hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile prepare a dry rub which includes pepper, basil, rosemary, thyme, granulated garlic, granulated onion, plenty of good paprika, but very little salt,

Remove the birds from the brine, and dry them. Spatchcock them, and insert wooden skewers so they hold their flat shape. Oil the birds with a little olive oil, then sprinkle them generously on both sides with the dry rub.

Grill the birds until done over a medium charcoal or gas fire, or if you're using an indoor stove-top grill, medium-hot fire.

Alternatively, instead of grilling, the birds may be cooked in a pan, or on a griddle or flat top, "under a brick."

Also, spatchcocked birds may be covered with a "deviling mix" and roasted in a very hot oven. Or the deviling may be held until the underside is cooked, and applied to the skin side, which is then finished under a broiler or salamander.

Last but not least: Smoke your spatchcocked quail, then hit the skin with a torch in order to crisp it.

BDL
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post #3 of 7
10/2/09 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 
Terrific !

I enjoy a challenge. The dry rub sounds great and I am all for the brine (Bombay will just have to do)

WoW, so this will be my first "Spatchcocking". I like, I like.....

Ok, so my order should be coming in next week, can't wait.

Thank you for the pearls of wisdom. Where did the name come from ? Would you know off hand ?

I can see it now, my mom calling, "How are you doing?" Can't talk now Mom, I'm Spatchcocking".

Petals
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post #4 of 7
10/2/09 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 
Research :


The first references to "spatchcocking" appear in 18th-century Irish cookbooks. It's been said that "spatchcock" is an abbreviation of "dispatch the cock." In other words, to kill the chicken.
However, spatchcocking actually refers to a specific way of preparing the chicken so it can be flattened to cook quickly by grilling, roasting, or broiling, or over an open fire.

Wikipedia:
"A spatchcock is a poussin or game bird that is prepared for roasting and broiling over a grill/spit, or a bird that has been cooked after being prepared in this way. The method of preparing the chicken involves removing the backbone and sternum of the bird and flattening it out before cooking[1].

" A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people"
Will Rogers

Thank you ,

Petals
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post #5 of 7
10/3/09 at 4:19am
I've never known a cooking term to be thrown around as loosely as "spatchcock."

Many people seem to believe that "spatchcock" and "butterfly" are synonyms. Even heard a celebrity chef, just the other day, say that spatchcock is what they used in England, but butterfly was used in the U.S.

This runs counter to what I was taught. To me, when you butterfly a fowl you remove the backbone and twist (or break) the keel bone so that the bird lies flat, opened like a book. When you spatchcock you go much further, removing the breastbone, wishbone, and ribs. In short, you all but debone the fowl, leaving only the leg- and wing-bones intact.

My impression is that spatchcock is one of those culinary terms that has suddenly captured the imagination of the industry. As a result, everybody is using it, whether they know what it means or not.

Petals: If you've not done it before, quail may not be the best place to start spatchcocking. Trying it on a chicken or two, first, will give you a feel for what you have to do, on a bird big enough to handle easily.
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post #6 of 7
10/3/09 at 5:05am
To me spatchcock method was total deboning like for a gallantine. Butterflying was a hinged split down the middle ie. a filet mignon, chicken breast, pork chop, but then again I guess how you were originally taught. I believe the term has been used in both ways like to carmelize means anything slightly browned.:chef:
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post #7 of 7
10/3/09 at 6:43am
Thread Starter 
I just woke up 2 hours ago and I am pleased to say that 3 chickens have spent a gruelling 3 hours at the demise of my boning knife . Practice makes perfect.
There was a terrific video on youtube showing how to do it. The Chef had it done in 2 minutes. His technique (or the "technique") was flawless.


Thank goodness my quail will not have to undergo such scrutiny.
A good drink of gin, a great rub, a little oiling, and alot of heat, I don't see a problem.

Petals
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