There is a globe’s worth of influence in this tender braised quail dish. But it retain a very subtle balance of flavors, which seem classically French. Quail Escabeche.
Ingredients
- 4 whole quail
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small fennel bulbs (1 lb total) stalks trimmed and bulbs minced
- 3 medium shallots, minced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 lwmongrass stalk, 1 or 2 outer layers removed & lower 4 inches minced
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 (2‑inch) piece mexican cinnamon stick
- 1½ cup dry sherry
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon flat leafed parsley, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- additional olive oil to taste for drizzling
Directions
Place the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F.
Wash and thoroughly dry the quail. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet with a lid, until it shimmers. Sear quail on all sides until golden brown, abou 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Add fennel, shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper to skillet and saute until fennel is well softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemongrass, raisins, cinnamon stick, sherry and sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil, then cover the skillet and move it to the oven to braise the vegetables about 20 minutes.
Pull the skillet from the oven, remove the lid and add a bit of water if necessary. Not too much, just enough to keep the vegetables fluid and easy to move around the skillet. Nestle the quail on top. Cover and return to the oven to continue braising another 30 minutes until the thigh pulls easily from the joints. Cool completely, uncovered. Serve at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil.
Barely tolerate Haas. It’s the rubber ball tomato of avocados. Even when fresh from my aunt who grew Haas in her orchard they were inferior. I grew up with a Fuerte tree in myback yard. Mmmmm. So much better.
I never knew what kind of avocado tree we had and now I know it’s fuerte!! Thanks : ) They are so good. Our tree here in Redlands produces about a million of them. Heaven on earth.
Being a California native. I have eaten a lot of avocados in my life. My favorite are Hass and Bacon I don’t think I have ever eaten a Fuerte avocado. I did just plant a Fuerte avocado tree today.As the Fuerte is a B variety and a Hass is an A variety this is very good for polinization. Soon I will find out what the Fuerte is aboutt.
To ripen a Hass and a bacon place them in a paper bag and put them in a dark cupboard and in a few days presto you have soft ripe avocados. And once a Hass is ripe it will stay over a week in your refrigerator.
Thanks Jeff
Hey friends, I hope this is OK to post here — I sell all kinds of “heritage” varieties of avocados on my site, http://www.avocadodiva.com You can buy a variety pack and try out two or three that are in season! Lots of fun. I hope you will check it out.
We love avocados but they aren’t as available here in Kuching as they are in California. I remember going to a farmer’s market in Temecula and being introduced to a few varieties I’d never heard about before. Each with its own distinctive character. You’re so lucky to be near to such abundance.
That “tree to tummy” mail order avocado business sounds like a great idea.
I had to do that. Love avocados. My friend served avocado filled portabella mushrooms just last night, and now I’m super craving them. Thanks for the nomination, btw.
I just told someone that no matter what the cost, I will buy them. I love them by themselves, on salads, as I said period!
Now I have to go read about Costa Rica!
I am in LOVE with avocados! Second only to beets in my heart. Lovely post!
Both are delicious, and one or the other usually graces the kitchen island. I have also seen an bacon avocado, know anything about them?
Congratulations on the opportunity to work on recipes for the mushroom council, I’m sure they will all be delicious and unique!
Loved this post! I had a geek out over the two kinds of persimmons one year and I couldn’t talk about it enough and still love finding people who don’t know the dif between Hachiya and Fuyu. I had no idea about avocados and I can’t wait to try the two together now. Sending hugs, haven’t talked in so long. 😀
Sounds like a UFC fight card, ha!
I did not know that avocados don’t ripen until after picked. I learned somethin’. I remember you saying they are artificially ripened offseason using the gas (see I remember stuff you say).
Oh how I love avocados… but here on the East Coast we miss them for a good chunk of the year. Whenever we visit E’s brother in Davis, we eat them at least once a day. Thanks for sharing, Greg!
The mail order avocado business mentioned in the sidebar is the real thing, folks. I’ve received a box from them and the avocados were 1. HUGE 2.PERFECT 3.UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS. Us easterners do not really know what a true hand picked avocado looks like because the ones in our stores are of low quality. Ben packed them carefully and even in midwinter they arrived in perfect shape. By the way, another great avocado variety is the REED. It’s large and looks like a bocce ball. Tastes better though. 🙂
Reed avocados are a summer variety. Look for them in July/August on http://www.CaliforniaAvocadosDirect.com. Our Hass avocados are very tasty right now.
I’m in love with this ‘Fuerte’ avocado and I haven’t even tried it yet! Maybe it’s the name.
Definitely going to be keeping my eyes “peeled” for this special variety. Avos are awesome. I can scoop ’em out and slather them on a plain slice of bread and call it a day. :-p
Who knew that I was so fascinated by the avocado! Personally I didn’t. But i found myself hanging on every word of this! It is totally one of my favorite fruits. I wonder where I could find those fuertes around here…
Loved the history lesson!! We have several “Fuerte” trees in the neighborhood — unfortunately the squirrels have been having a field day stealing them!!
I am with you — love the Fuerte and eat them when I can get them!!!
If this is the kind of post that comes from being an avocado geek, then I say “geek away”. Great history lesson on Hass vs. Fuerte avocados.