Would be an honour to claim this as my own but it's a riff on one of Nigel Slater's. If you haven't read any of his pieces (many) for The Observer please do so. While you are at it, pick up a copy of The Kitchen Diaries. Just lovely words on food....
5 Spice Quail
1 large clove garlic (you know not to use the ones with the green bit right?)
1 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
The juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 quail (game hens can be substituted)
Sea or Kosher salt
Grab a decent sized bowl. Peel and smash garlic. Stir in lemon juice, oil, cayenne, and five spice powder. Apply a good pinch of salt (more like two good ones). Coat quail with seasoning mix. Be sure to coat evenly but gently. Put in the fridge/cooler for a couple of hours and forget about them.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chuck birds and juices into a roasting pan. Not too big but you don't want them to touch either. Roast 20-25 minutes turning once. Birds should look dark and a bit crispy when finished. Serve with a lemon and some good chunky bread for the juices.
Quite a few beers are good with these birds. The salty, sweet, spicy stickiness of the flesh is a great pairing with everything from Tsing Tao to the less exotic Shiner. Johnny Walker Blue....not so good.
Four birds leaves two wanting a bit more. Three each would be too much.
E.M.M.
No comments:
Post a Comment