See Also: Roast quail with chestnuts and Calvados(recipes)
Roast Chestnuts(recipes)
Salmi of Pheasant (or Partridge, or Guinea Fowl) with Roast Chestnuts(recipes)
Roast Quail with Sage(recipes)
Hot and sticky roast quail(recipes)
Roasted quail with watermelon, spring onions, cobnuts ands quail vinaigrette(recipes)
Roast turkey with one-pot roast vegetables and roast potatoes(recipes)
Parsnip-stuffed roast saddle of lamb with fondant potatoes, roast beetroot and red wine sauce(recipes)
calvados(dictionary)
Calvados(recipes)

Roast quail with chestnuts and Calvados (recipes)






Serves 4



Preparation time

less than 30 mins



Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

















Ingredients



1 tbsp olive oil2 dessert pears, peeled, cored and chopped1 onion, sliced8 small quailsalt and freshly ground black pepper1 bay leaf45ml/1½fl oz Calvados150g/5oz pre-packed chestnuts, plus 4 extra400ml/14fl oz chicken stockFor the warm dressingthe juices from cooking the quails45ml/1½fl oz balsamic vinegar2 tbsp honeyhalf a lime, juice onlysalt and freshly ground black pepper200ml/7fl oz extra virgin olive oilTo serve1 large bunch sorrel, thicker stems removedhandful baby chard



Method



1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pears and the onion and fry until golden and soft.3. Season the quail all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stuff the quails with the pear mixture and place into a deep roasting tin.4. Add the bay leaf, Calvados and four chestnuts and add enough stock to be level with a quarter of the way up the quail.5. Cover the roasting tin and contents with foil and transfer to the oven to roast for 25 minutes.6. Remove the foil and cook for ten more minutes, or until the quail are completely cooked through.7. Remove the quail and place onto a warmed serving dish and keep warm.8. For the dressing, skim off any fat from the remaining roasting juices and place over a high heat to reduce the liquid by half.9. Add the remaining chestnuts and continue heating to warm through.10. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey and lime juice and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.11. Add the olive oil to the pan, stirring gently to emulsify.12. To serve, divide the sorrel and baby chard and arrange onto four plates. Place two quail on top of the salad and spoon over the warm dressing.