Recipe created and prepared by local chef Josh Berry.

Rosemont Market and Bakery proudly carries farm-raised Cavendish quail from Vermont. These renowned birds are flavorful and retain their juiciness while cooking, making them a wonderful choice for the holidays.  Serving quail is a convenient option if you don’t want to deal with a huge turkey; each guest can enjoy their own stuffed bird. Chef Josh uses a mix of two Rosemont breads to make the stuffing and if you are Gluten-Free, we carry Aleia’s Gluten Free Savory Stuffing. 

quail ingredients layed outraw quail in a pan

Apple & Fig Stuffed Native Quail 

with garlicky kale, toasted pecans & cider velouté  

 

Serves 2 for entree, 4 for lunch or appetizer

Ingredients  

  •  4 each whole Cavendish quail, semi-boneless  
  • 1 each stick of Kate’s unsalted butter  
  • 1 each white onion, small dice  
  • 2 each ribs of celery, small dice  
  • 2 each cortland apples, small diced  
  • ½ cup dried black or golden figs, rehydrated and small diced  
  • 2 ½ cups Rosemont sourdough & multigrain bread, diced and dried  
  • 2 ½ cups Field Day Chicken Broth 
  • To taste salt and pepper  
  • 1 tablespoon Kate’s Butter 
  • 2 each cloves of garlic, sliced  
  • 5-6 each sprigs of thyme 

Method  

  • Heat oven to 375f degrees 
  • In a large dutch oven or pot, melt the stick of butter over medium heat . 
  • Add the onions and celery and saute the vegetables 
  • Add the apples, figs and dried bread, stir to incorporate all the ingredients.  
  • Add the chicken stock and turn heat to low. Cook the stuffing until all the ingredients “get to know each other”. The bread should absorb the stock and become soft. Remove from heat and cool.  
  • Once the stuffing is cool enough to handle, stuff each quail with as much stuffing that they can handle. Season the quail with salt and pepper and tie the legs together so they look like “mini-stuffed turkeys”. Extra stuffing can be frozen and used to stuff chicken or turkeys later.  
  • Place quail in a baking dish and sprinkle over sliced garlic and thyme. Dot each quail with a little butter.  
  • Bake quail for 20-25 minutes (165f degrees).  
  • Remove from the oven and let rest.  

Garlicky Kale with Toasted Pecans  

Ingredients  

  • 1 bunch kale, removed from the stem 
  • ½ cup pecans  
  • 4 each cloves garlic, sliced  
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Harvest Olive Oil  
  • To taste salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Method  

  • Place a large dutch oven or pot on medium heat.  
  • Add the olive oil and pecans to the pot. Toast the pecans in the oil just until they start to brown.  
  • Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds before you add the kale.  
  • Quickly wilt the kale and stir with the garlic and pecans.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  
  • Remove from the heat, set aside 

Cider Veloute  

Ingredients   

  •  2 tablespoons Kate’s Butter, unsalted 
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
  • 1 ½ cups Field Day Chicken Broth  
  • ½ cup local apple cider  
  • To taste salt and pepper  

Method  

  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.  
  • Add the flour and whisk together until the butter and flour mixture has small bubbles but does not brown, about 2-minutes. This is now your “roux.”  
  • Whisk in the chicken stock all at once into the roux, and continue to whisk until it is smooth and lump-free.  
  • Gradually whisk in the apple cider, salt, and pepper.  
  • Bring the sauce to a low boil stirring constantly with a whisk. Once the sauce reaches a low boil, keep whisking the sauce for 2-minutes. 
  • Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and keep warm. 

Serve 

  • Spoon some of the veloute onto a serving plate.  Place a mound of the sauteed kale to one side. Place a quail atop the kale and drizzle with a little Olive Harvest Olive Oil.  
  • Pour glasses of Joe’s pairing selection. 
  • Enjoy!  

Joe’s Wine Pairing:

Tselepos Mantinia Moschofilero

Delicate flavors of high intensity, mainly citrus fruits and lemons.