QUAILS WITH FIGS & WALNUT SAUCE

Quails with figs & walnut sauce image

This beautiful bird makes a nice change for Sunday lunch, it's complemented by the sweetness of figs and a nutty sauce

Provided by Diana Henry

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 bay leaves , crumbled
4 thyme sprigs , leaves picked
finely grated zest ½ small lemon
4 tbsp brandy
135ml extra virgin olive oil
12 quails
50g butter , cut into 12 small pieces
350ml dry vermouth
9 figs , stems snipped off and halved lengthways
2 tbsp honey
1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
500ml chicken stock
3 large garlic cloves
80g walnuts
150ml walnut oil
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

To make a marinade, mix the herbs, lemon zest, brandy, seasoning and 6 tbsp olive oil in a large dish. Season the birds and spoon some marinade into the cavities. Roll them in the rest of the marinade, then cover and chill overnight.
For the walnut sauce, whizz the garlic and walnuts together with a little salt in a small food processor until finely chopped. Add the oil in a thin stream, as though you're making a mayonnaise. Stir in 2 tbsp warm water. Season with pepper, add the parsley and set aside.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To cook the quail, wipe any herbs from the breast area. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and, when really hot, quickly brown the birds all over, in batches, colouring but not cooking the meat.
Put a piece of butter inside each bird and put them into a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, depending on whether you like the meat to be a little pink, adding a quarter of the vermouth after 10 mins. Put the figs in a small gratin dish in a single layer. Drizzle with the honey and balsamic, then season. Roast for 20 mins, alongside the quail, basting during cooking. The figs should be dark and tender but holding their shape. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
Put the quail on a warm platter and cover. Put the roasting tin on the hob over a high heat. Add the rest of the vermouth, bring to the boil and bubble until there's 150ml left. Add the stock and boil until you have a slightly syrupy sauce, enough for 2 tbsp per serving of quail. Put two birds on each plate and spoon over the reduced sauce. Serve with three fig halves each and the walnut sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1097 calories, Fat 74 grams fat, SaturatedFat 16 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 39 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 39 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 50 grams protein, Sodium 0.8 milligram of sodium