Grilled Quail with Caramelized Peaches and Figs
Recipe by Stacy Lyn Harris. Recipe featured in the Dec-Jan 20 issue. For more recipes and tips from Stacy Lyn Harris, visit her website by clicking here.
“Blessed with the largesse of wild game from hunters like her husband Scott, Stacy Lyn was faced with a growing abundance of quarry that needed to be eaten. And as their clan expanded (the couple has seven children, now ages 10 to 25), she became keenly aware of the need to not only eat what they harvested but to also make it delicious. She already had the passion for cooking, but she truly relished the challenge of wild-game meat, saying, ‘I found cooking wild game to be contagious!’ So, having exhausted the overserved quail-and-jalapeño-wrapped-in-bacon recipes, Stacy Lyn dove deeper to expand her culinary repertoire by researching old ways and making them current: ‘I started reading ancient recipes, since I knew people have always been foraging in the wild, cooking old roosters, and raising grass-fed cattle—much tougher meat than we have today. I knew if they could cook it and it be tender and tasty back then, I could too!’” – Excerpt from “Ushering the Outdoors In” by Christiana Roussel
INGREDIENTS
(Serves 9)
- 4 semi-boneless quail
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 ripe peaches, seeded and halved
- 8 ripe figs, halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
TO PREPARE:
-
- Heat grill or grill pan until almost smoking. Brush melted butter on both sides of the quail. Liberally salt and pepper the quail on both sides.
- When the grill is smoking hot, place quail on the grill and cook for 3 minutes, then turn and grill for about 2 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove quail from grill onto a plate; let rest.
- Pack brown sugar into the cavity of the halved peaches and sprinkle on the flesh of the halved figs.
- Place the fruit skin-side down on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. If you have small figs, use a grill grate to cook. Turn fruit over and cook until the brown sugar is caramelized, about 3 to 4 minutes for the peaches and 2 minutes for the figs.
TO SERVE:
Divide the quail, peaches, and figs among 4 plates and top with chopped basil. This dish can be served with a wild rice salad.
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