Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine
Grilled Quail Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette
- Total: 35 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
12 quail eggs
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn or canola oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled
Leaves of 1 Boston lettuce
1 bunch watercress, coarse stems removed
4 ounces white mushrooms (about 6 medium), sliced
4 semi-boneless jumbo quail ( rib cage and backbone removed, wings and legs left intact), 6 to 8 ounces each
Corn or canola oil, for rubbing on quail
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Directions
- In a saucepan cover the eggs with cold water, bring the water just to a boil, and simmer the eggs for 5 minutes. Pour out the water, add cold water to the pan, and let the eggs cool until they can be handled. Shell eggs carefully and halve them lengthwise. In a small bowl stir together garlic, mustard, vinegar, and cream. Add oils in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified, and season with pepper and salt. Cut pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Prepare grill. Halve each quail lengthwise through breast and pat dry. Rub quail lightly all over with oil and season with pepper and salt. Grill quail in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat , or until skin is well browned but meat is still pink. In a large bowl toss watercress and mushrooms with just enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. Arrange lettuce on each of 4 large plates and top with watercress mixture and bell pepper and quail eggs. Arrange quail on top of salad and sprinkle with tarragon. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
