BBQ Quail with Spiced Cherry Compote
BBQ Quail with Spiced Cherry Compote | Recipe by Eloise Emmet | Serves 6
BBQ Quail with Spiced Cherry Compote
This festive quail dish pairs beautifully grilled Rannoch Quail with a rich spiced cherry compote, bringing together sweet, savoury and aromatic flavours. The warmth of cinnamon, star anise and herbs gives the dish a special occasion feel, while the cherries, port and orange add depth and brightness. Served with grilled asparagus, it makes an elegant entrée for Christmas, summer entertaining or a long lunch with something a little different.
Ingredients:
• 6 Rannoch Quail, boned
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped sage
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped oregano
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ½ cup port
• Juice of 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 150 g pitted cherries
• 2 bunches asparagus
• 1 tbsp butter
Instructions:
Combine olive oil, minced garlic, sage, oregano and rosemary together in a small bowl.
Place quail in a dish and pour mixture over. Set aside in the fridge to marinate.
Meanwhile, make the cherry compote by placing cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and thyme in a piece of muslin or other fabric and securing the top with kitchen twine.
Bring water and sugar to the boil in a. medium saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and add port, orange juice, minced shallot and the wrapped spices. Add cherries to the saucepan and poach for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and strain sauce into a clean saucepan, reserving the cherries. Discard the wrapped spices.
Place saucepan over medium heat and cook until it has reduced by two-thirds. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat barbecue or grill pan over medium- high heat, remove quail from marinade and grill for 5-6 minutes per side.
Grill asparagus on the barbecue while quail cooks. When quail is cooking warm cherry sauce over medium heat.
When warm, season to taste and just before serving add butter and swirl through the sauce. Serve quail on a bed of asparagus with cherry compote.
