Tiny quails, nestling on mushroom caps and topped with a favourite Italian garnish of parsley, lemon and garlic, make a sophisticated starter, yet leave you plenty of free time to prepare the main course.
ingredients
serves: 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Butter
4 oven-ready quails
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
4 large, flat open mushrooms
Salt and black pepper
for the gremolata:
A small bunch of parsley
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
method
1. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F, gas mark 8) and heat the olive oil and butter in a shallow ovenproof dish in the top half of the oven while you prepare the quails.
2. Pluck any feathers from the quails, rinse and pat dry Rinse the thyme and put two sprigs and a bay leaf into each cavity Clean the mushrooms and remove the stalks.
3. Lay the mushrooms, skin sides down, in the ovenproof dish, and place a quail on the centre of each. Baste the quails and around the edges of the mushrooms with the oil and butter and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Roast the quails for 15 - 20 minutes, or until their juices run clear when the flesh is pierced with a skewer. Baste them again halfway through cooking.
5. Meanwhile, make the gremolata. Rinse, dry and chop enough parsley to give 2 tablespoons. Wash any wax from the lemon, then grate half the rind.
6. Peel and crush the garlic. Mix together in a small bowl.
7. A few minutes before the quails have finished cooking, sprinkle some gremolata over each and return to the oven.
more information
The Italian flavouring called gremolata can he used as a garnish and to boost the flavour of many simple dishes including pasta and vegetables.
