CRISPY SMOKED QUAIL SALAD WITH BOURBON-MOLASSES DRESSING

Crispy Smoked Quail Salad with Bourbon-Molasses Dressing image

This rich and smoky salad has become, hands down, the most popular dish on the menu at Bayona. I think it's owing to the combination of textures and flavors, and the way they all mingle together and complement one another. There are several components to this salad, and that's why it's so satisfying. The good news is that many of these steps can be done in advance. The trickiest technique is cold-smoking the quail, which infuses it with natural smoky flavor without cooking it. That means when we fry the batter-dipped bird at the last minute, the result is both crispy and juicy. At the restaurant we make a stock with the smoked quail wings and use it to enrich the dressing, but this is not necessary. If pears are not in season, apples make a good substitute.

Yield makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ketjap manis (see p. 14)
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 quail, partially deboned (about 5 ounces total)
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon walnut vinegar (or 1 teaspoon walnut oil)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup pure olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons bourbon
(makes about 3/4 cup or 4 to 6 servings)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Marinated, smoked quail
Rice Flour Batter
1 ripe pear, cut into quarters, then each quarter into 4 wedges
4 cups young spinach or other salad greens, cleaned
Bourbon-Molasses Dressing
1/4 cup chopped celery hearts and tender leaves
2 tablespoons chopped Pickled Red Onions (p. 196)
2 tablespoons Cajun-spiced Pecans (p. 22)

Steps:

Whisk together the honey, ketjap manis, and oil in a medium bowl. Nestle the quail in the marinade, ensuring that each inside cavity is moistened, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain the quail and cold-smoke (see below) for about 15 minutes. The quail should not cook in the process.
Whisk together the molasses, vinegars, and shallot in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the bourbon.
Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. The batter should be the consistency of whipping cream in order to lightly coat the quail.
Heat 2 1/2 inches of the frying oil in a deep skillet (large enough to hold the quail in a single layer) to about 350°F. Dip the quail in the batter. Lift them out of the batter and hold over the container, letting the excess drip off. Fry the quail for about 4 minutes, turning once. Drain them on paper towels, cool slightly, and cut into quarters (2 legs and 2 breasts).
Place 4 pear wedges on each of four plates. Toss the greens with a few spoonfuls of dressing and the celery hearts and pickled onions, and divide among the plates. Top the salads with the quail and sprinkle with spiced pecans. Drizzle with more dressing, if desired.
Cold smoking allows you to cool the smoke before it reaches the food (so the food absorbs flavor without cooking. To cold-smoke, open the vents on both the bottom of the grill and the lid. Remove the lid and top rack from the grill, and center a disposable roasting pan on the coals. Place 1 1/2 cups of sawdust in the pan. Fill the drip pan between the grill and the hot coals with an aluminum or metal tub of ice. Cover the grill and smoke for 15 minutes.