For such small birds, quail pack a lot of flavour, which is why they need little more than a simple marinade to accompany them. One quail per person makes for a starter or light supper, so this dish would be a good one to serve if you've prepared a generous mezze selection to start, as it won't be too heavy, particularly if combined with another light grill, such as the chicken wings on p.138. If you wanted to serve it as a more substantial main course you could either serve 2 quail per person, or bulk the dish out by serving it with rice and a vegetable.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
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4 quail
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1 tbsp honey
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1 tsp ground cinnamon
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1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
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Juice of ½ orange
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4 short cinnamon sticks (or 2 long ones, halved)
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2 tsp sesame seeds
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Small handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Put the quail on a board. Butterfly each quail by cutting down one side of the backbone. Open the bird out and use the heel of your hand to press down on the breast to flatten it. Do the same with the other 3 birds. Put in a large shallow dish.
Mix together I tablespoon of the oil with the honey, cinnamon, pomegranate molasses and orange juice, and season well. Brush all over the quail and add the cinnamon sticks. Cover, chill and marinate for 1 hour.
Take the quail out of the fridge about half an hour before cooking, to take the chill off them.
Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan until hot and add the remaining oil. Place the quail in the pan. skin-side down, and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side for a few more minutes. Add the sesame seeds and basil to the pan and stir to coat in the juices.
To see if the quail is cooked, use a skewer or knife to pierce the thickest part of the thigh and check that the juices run clear.
