Quails with Brandy Hosin Glaze & Fondant Baby Potatoes

By cookism

Just for kicks, we decided to move away from our usual choice of poultry and use the more atypical quail as the star of our new dish. Lean and delicate, quails are not for the parochial in taste, given that they can come across as gamey and bony. This delicious recipe with an Asian twist will prove to be an exception, with a tangy, umami skin sealing in the juicy, flavourful flesh. I guess we can say that birds of a feather don’t always flock together after all.

(Adapted from Epicure)

Ingredients

• For quail with brandy hosin glaze:
• 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
• 2 Quails
• 60 g of Red Shallots (thinly sliced)
• 2 1/2 whole Garlic (peeled & smashed)
• 1/2 Cup of Brandy
• 1/4 of White Wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp of Hosin Sauce
• 15 g of Aged Dried Orange Peel (thinly sliced)
• 35 g of Rock Sugar (smashed into small pieces with a mortar & pestle)
• Juice from 1/2 Green Lime
• For fondant baby potatoes:
• 250 g of Baby Potatoes (washed)
• 1 Garlic Clove (smashed)
• 1 Bay Leave
• 100 ml of White Wine
• 25 g of Butter
• Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
• 1 Sprig of Dill Leaves
• For blanched carrots:
• 2 Small Carrots
• Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
• Olive Oil

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from cookism.tumblr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Heat frying pan with olive oil till hot. At the first sight of smoke, lightly sear all sides of the quails to a light brown hue. Transfer to a baking dish to cool.
2. Continue using the same pan, fry garlic and shallots till aromatic and golden brown. Deglaze with brandy and white wine. Stir and cook till liquid is slightly reduced, then add in hosin sauce, dried orange peel, rock sugar and lime juice. Mix and cook till sugar is dissolved.
3. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and pour over the quails, rubbing it thoroughly onto them. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes before baking in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until the meat is firm to the touch and a skewer passes through the thickest part of the thigh easily.
4. In the meantime, cook the sides. Combine potatoes, garlic, bay leave, wine and butter in a frying pan. Cover and set over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent the base of the potato from charring. Cook till you hear sizzling sounds in the pan, which implies that the white wine has evaporated. Remove the lid and fry the potatoes until completely cooked through, with the skins crisp and golden brown. Season potatoes with salt and black pepper to taste and garnish with dill leaves at the end. For blanched carrots, cook carrots in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the carrots and your desired softness. Transfer them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Slice carrots into halves, then season and toss with salt, black pepper and a dash of olive oil.
5. Serve quails with potatoes and carrots. FEAST!