Roast quail, tangled leek & potato vinaigrette
Former restaurant chef Barney shows how to carve a small game bird – serve it with eggs and a salad, bistro-style
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Prep:20 mins
Cook:30 mins
- Serves 2
- More effort
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 684
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fat 41g
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saturates 8g
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carbs 35g
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sugars 8g
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fibre 7g
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protein 40g
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salt 0.6g
Ingredients
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 oven-ready quail, strings removed
- olive oil, for rubbing and drizzling
- small drizzle clear honey
- 4 quail eggs
- 3 leeks, trimmed and halved lengthways
- 8 salad potatoes, like Pink Fir Apple or Charlotte, sliced
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp walnut oil
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a thyme sprig in the cavity of each quail. Rub each bird with a little oil and honey, and season generously. Put the quail in a shallow roasting tin and roast for 20 mins until golden, then leave to rest in a warm place.
While the quail are roasting, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the eggs for 2 mins exactly, then scoop out into a bowl of cold water. Peel and set aside. Put the leeks in the boiling water and cook for 10 mins until soft. Scoop them out, put in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil while still hot. Boil the potatoes in the same pan for 8-10 mins until just cooked, then drain and add to the leeks.
To make the dressing, whisk the mustard and vinegar together, then gradually add the oil to make a thick dressing and season. Halve the eggs and carve the quail (see step-by-step images).
To serve, arrange a tangled nest of leeks, potatoes and quail breasts in the centre of each plate. Tuck in the eggs and top with the quail legs. Drizzle the dressing over and dot around the outside of the plate.
