Quail

Background: I love quail. I get local quail four at a time at the meat counter I go to. They are pricey, so I don’t get them often. But they are also very fast and easy to prepare. Here’s what I do:

1. Preheat an oven (or convection oven) to as hot as it will go (like 500 degrees).
2. Get some local partially boneless quail and lay them on a sheet pan.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Put a pat of butter on each.
5. Roast for 7 minutes and check the temp with a probe thermometer.
6. Using a basting brush, cover each quail with the now melted butter on both sides.
7. Flip them and roast the other side for 7 minutes.
8. Check the temp again and continue roasting and flipping at 2 minute intervals until the birds hit 165 degrees.

Why It Works.

1. I cook my quail like I live my life: hot and fast.
2. The boneless ones will cook faster, so adjust if you have ones with bones in them.
3. You could add other seasonings as well.
4. The milk solids in the butter will help the quail brown.
5. Your oven, convection oven, or air fryer (which is actually a convection oven) may vary. You are looking for browning.
6. Rather than painting on melted butter before roasting, this method makes use of the butter solids. When you melt butter, the solids sink, but we want them on the top because they will help with browning.
7. You are looking for browning. When the skin is browned, they are almost certainly done.
8. If there is a beautiful brown side and the temp has hit 165 degrees F, you have a choice to make. Do you keep cooking to get more brown crispiness but risk overcooked bird, or do you pull them now, and serve a done bird with the beautiful brown side up? Your call. You could use the broiler to push the browning.

Mods:

1. Use compound butter.
2. Use untoasted aromatic seeds like fennel seed, coriander seed, or caraway seed. They will toast in the butter as the birds cook, adding more scent to the dish.
3. Stuff the birds with woody herbs like thyme or rosemary. This is a great way to use those sprigs without having to pick little leaves. (Also there are tricks to that, but that’s another move.)