Quail with Fresh Figs Recipe | Mediterranean Style
To cook quail with figs ideally you should use the ripe purple fruit laden on the fig trees in the south of France in early autumn. COOK’S TIP: Farmed quail are available all year and are an excellent buy.
Ingredients
- 8 oven-ready quails
- 6 firm, ripe figs, quartered
- 1 tbsp (½ oz/15 g) butter
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) dry sherry
- 1¼ cups (½ pint/300 ml) chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2-3 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ tsp (7.5 ml) corn flour, mixed to a paste with 1 tbsp (15 ml) water
- salt and ground black pepper
- green salad to serve
Instructions
- Season the quail inside and out. Put a fig quarter in the cavity of each quail and tie the legs with string.
- Melt the butter in a deep frying pan or heavy flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Cook the quail for 5-6 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly; cook in batches if necessary.
- Add the sherry and boil for 1 minute, then add the stock, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining fig quarters and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes until the meat juices run clear when the thigh of a quail is pierced with a knife. Transfer the quail and figs to a warmed serving dish, cut off the trussing string and cover to keep warm.
- Bring the cooking liquid to the boil, and then stir in the corn flour paste. Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is thickened, then strain into a sauce boat. Serve the quail and figs with the sauce and a green salad.
Quail with Fresh Figs Recipe-Mediterranean Style