Baked quail on wild rice and mushrooms
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVES 2
4 whole quail
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Olive oil spray
1 cup wild rice
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 F. Season quail with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil. Lay quail, skin side down, on pan and sear for 3–5 minutes, long enough to get brown grill lines. Turn over and sear another 3 minutes. Move pan to preheated oven and finish cooking for 15 minutes.
For rice: In a medium saucepan over high heat, add water, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add rice, lower heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute 4–5 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Add mushrooms to rice during last 15 minutes of cooking time. Continue cooking rice until all water is absorbed. To serve, pile rice on a platter and top with quail. Garnish with parsley. (Also try this recipe with dove, pigeon or partridge.)