Codornices al Ajillo (Garlic Quail)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Poultry shears
• •Mortar and pestle
• •Heavy frying pan with lid (about 30cm)
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Split the quail

   Set each quail breast-side down. With poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it, then open the bird and cut through the breastbone to make two halves. Pat all 16 halves dry with kitchen paper. If the butcher has already split them, so much the better; nothing is lost.

   Freeze the backbones for stock. Four or five batches make a small but very good broth for rice or soup.
2. 2

   Make the majado

   Pound the 6 crushed garlic cloves, 15g roughly chopped parsley, 8g salt, and 1g pepper in a mortar until you have a coarse majado, a pounded garlic and herb paste. Work in 30ml olive oil. Rub it over the quail, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

   Thirty minutes is enough for these small birds. Leaving the salted garlic paste on overnight firms the lean breast and makes the garlic harsher.
3. 3

   Dry for browning

   Lift the quail from the marinade and scrape away any loose pieces of garlic and parsley. Discard the raw marinade. Blot the surface lightly and let the birds stand for 10 minutes while the pan heats. Wet meat steams, and wet garlic burns before the quail takes colour. This small correction decides the dish.

4. 4

   Brown in batches

   Heat a 30cm heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 20ml olive oil and lay in half the quail, skin-side down, without crowding. Press each piece against the pan for a few seconds, then sear for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is deep gold with darker edges. Turn and cook the bone side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add the remaining 20ml searing oil, and brown the second batch. The meat will not yet be cooked through.

   Don't force all 16 halves into one pan. A crowded pan fills with liquid, and pale boiled quail is a poor reward for saving five minutes.
5. 5

   Build the garlic sauce

   Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 20ml olive oil, the 6 sliced garlic cloves, and the bay leaf. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring, until the garlic is pale gold and smells sweet. Pour in the wine, scrape up every browned bit, and boil for about 2 minutes, until reduced by roughly one-third. Add the 60ml water and 30ml lemon juice.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Return the quail to the pan in one layer, skin-side up, along with any juices from the plate. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Uncover, turn the pieces for 2 minutes, then turn them skin-side up again and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 74°C (165°F). Transfer the quail to a platter and rest for 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, bubble the sauce for 1 minute if it looks loose, and stir in the remaining 5g parsley. Spoon the garlic and lemon sauce over the birds and serve with the lemon wedges.

Chef Tips

• •Buy oven-ready farmed quail of roughly equal weight so they finish together. Frozen birds are perfectly sound here; thaw them for 24 hours in the refrigerator and dry them well. Wild quail may be smaller and leaner, so check it 2 to 3 minutes earlier and look carefully for shot.
• •No quail where you live? Use one small chicken weighing 1-1.2kg, cut into eight pieces. Keep the marinade and sauce quantities unchanged, sear each side for 5 to 6 minutes, then simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches 74°C. The result is milder and less gamey, but it belongs to the same household method.
• •Use firm, fresh garlic. If a clove has sprouted, split it and pull out the green germ; left in, it can make this quick sauce needlessly bitter.
• •A young dry Airén from Castilla-La Mancha is right in the pan and at the table. Avoid sweet wine and salty cooking wine. If wine isn't an option, use 100ml water with 15ml vinagre de Jerez, sherry vinegar; the sauce will be sharper and a little less rounded.
• •Serve the quail with fried potatoes or plain country bread. The sauce is thin by design and meant for dragging bread through, not thickening with flour.
• •Quail is best straight from the pan. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for up to 3 days below 4°C. Reheat gently with 15ml water until the centre reaches 74°C; hard reheating dries the breast.

Advance Preparation

• •The quail can be split and coated with the majado up to 4 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, then scrape and blot it just before cooking.
• •Measure the wine, water, and lemon juice before the pan goes on. Once the quail is brown, the sauce moves quickly and the garlic won't wait while you look for a measuring jug.
• •This is not improved by cooking it a day ahead. Prepare the birds in advance if needed, but brown and finish them just before the meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)