Category
Main Dishes
Servings
4
Ingredients
-
8 whole (6-oz) quail
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ c peanut oil
- 1 T unsalted butter, softened
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
-
1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ c Cognac
- 2 c chicken stock
- ½ c crème fraîche
- 6 oz green grapes
-
18 roasted chestnuts (from 7¼-oz jar)
For Green Grape Sauce
Directions
Rinse quail inside and out and pat dry. Combine butter and peanut oil. Rub into skin of birds. Season each with salt and pepper.
Place birds in enamel roasting pan. Insert the Probe into the thickest part of the breast of the biggest bird. Set the Probe to 165°F.
Preheat Bravo and set to roast at 375°F. Place birds with pan in Bravo. Roast until an internal temperature 165°F is reached.
- When done, remove birds to a platter. Loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 min.
While resting, to make sauce, add butter, carrots, onions to a pan and sweat the onions. Add Cognac and boil 1 min. Add broth and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 min.
Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl, pressing hard. Discard solids and pour back into skillet. Add grapes and chestnuts and simmer, stirring occasionally until heated through and grapes turn a shade lighter, about 3 min. Transfer grapes and chestnuts (only) to platter with quail.
- Boil sauce in skillet until thick enough to lightly coat back of spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon some sauce over quail and serve remainder on the side. Serve immediately.
Recipe Note
Do not overcrowd birds in pan or skins wont crisp up and food will take much longer to cook.