Q is for Quail, Quince and Quinoa

Q was a difficult one. I have never cooked with Quail or Quince before so I was definitely stepping outside of my comfort range. Quinoa was a must but what could I cook with it. Luckily there was a Toby Puttock recipe in the paper the week before "Q" for a Quinoa salad. I thought this would go well with Roasted Quail. For dessert I delved into the world of Quince, with a Donna Hay Roasted Quince. For starters I had some Maggie Beer Quince paste and Brie cheese with some Quackers.


Roasted Quail with Quinoa Salad
8 quail (cleaned and rinsed)
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon spring onion, minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
cooking spray

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
2. Lightly rub all the quail, inside and out with salt.
3. In a large frypan, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms, breadcrumbs and salt until the mushrooms start to soften. Stuff the quail with this mixture.
4. Using the same frypan, make a roux by pouring in the olive oil and browning the flour in it. Then add the chicken stock, spring onions, red pepper and parsley to the roux. Saute the mix for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and sauce is glossy.
5. Next, spray a baking pan or large casserole dish with cooking spray and place the stuffed quail in it. Pour the sauce over the quail.
6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times during the baking process.
7. Serve two quail to a person.

Quinoa Salad

2 heaped tbsp low fat plain greek yoghurt

sea salt and cracked pepper

2 small handfuls of mint leaves, finely chopped

2 pinches of ground cumin

3/4 cup of quinoa

1 bunch of broccolini, ends trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths

1 bulb of baby fennel

1 tbs of salted baby capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 small handful of dill, chopped

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Place yoghurt in a bowl and season with S&P.  Add half the chopped mint leaves and mix. Sprinkle with a pinch of cumin, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Toast the quinoa in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups (500mls) water to pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside, covered for 5 minutes to allow the quinoa to absorb any remaining liquid. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool.
3. Meanwhile bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the broccolini and asparagus for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside until needed.
4. Use a sharp knife to remove the stalks from the fennel bulb. Reserve the fronds and discard the stalks. Cut the fennel in half lengthways, then slice into thin strips and place in a bowl in iced water to keep it fresh and crisp. (Use a mandolin)
5. Remove the cooled quinoa from the fridge. Add the broccolini and asparagus, fennel, capers, dill, lemon zest and juice, remaining mint leaves and a pinch of cumin, reserved fennel fronds and a good drizzle of oil. Mix carefully so you don't bruise the herbs, then season with S&P.
6. Serve the quinoa with a dollop of mint and cumin yoghurt on top.

Roasted Quince (Serves 4-6)
1 lemon, juiced
1.6kg (about 4) quinces
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
3 strips orange rind
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
2 cups (500ml) water
store-bought vanilla ice-cream (optional), to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Place the lemon juice in a large bowl of cold water. 
3. Peel the quinces and cut each into 6 pieces. Place the quince into the lemon water. 
4. Place the cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean and seeds, orange rind, sugar, water and quince in a large roasting tray. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and cook for 50–60 minutes or until the quince is starting to soften. 
5. Remove the foil, turn the quince and cook, spooning over the syrup occasionally, for a further 30–35 minutes or until the quince is dark red and caramelised. 
6. Serve with vanilla ice-cream, if desired, and drizzle with syrup.

Note: The quince will discolour quickly after the skin is peeled; hence placing in the lemon water until it's needed, helps to stop the discolouration.