Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [115]
Remove to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile add the remaining grapes to the reserved glaze in the skillet and stir to coat. Heat through. Carve the pheasant and serve with the brandied grapes.
WHOLE QUAIL
Coconut Butter–Basted Quail with Grilled Tropical Fruits
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Quail are fair game throughout North America, but they are also one of the most frequently farmed game birds, and all of the quail sold commercially are farm-raised. Quail are so small (about 6 ounces whole, and 3 ounces of meat per bird) that you need two, which is called a brace, for one serving. They are sometimes sold semi-boneless, meaning only the wing bones and drumsticks are left intact. One of the advantages of their small size is that they cook very quickly, grill-roasting in a mere 15 minutes. In this recipe the delicate quail meat is inundated with tropical flavors–fruit and rum and, most intriguingly, with coconut oil, which gives the meat a rich mouthfeel and permeates the dish with a subtle coconut fragrance.
INGREDIENTS:
8 quail, preferably whole, washed and patted dry
2 cups Pineapple Brine, made with rum
¼ cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon saffron, crumbled
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon Asian hot pepper sauce, such as Sriracha
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
½ pineapple, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thick wedges (see Know-How, below)
2 bananas, peeled and cut on the diagonal into thick slices
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Using kitchen scissors, cut the backbone from each quail and open the birds up flat. Put in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag with the pineapple brine. Press out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F.
Melt the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the saffron, honey, and hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the quail from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Brush on both sides with the coconut oil mixture. Brush the fruit with the coconut oil mixture. You will have used about a third of the mixture by this time. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil.
Place the quail flat on the grill grate, skin-side up, and grill until golden brown, grill-marked, and firm to the touch, about 16 minutes, turning and brushing with more of the coconut oil mixture three or four times.
Grill the pineapple and mango for 10 minutes, turning once, and grill the banana slices for 5 minutes, turning once. Serve the quail on a bed of the grilled fruit and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.
KNOW-HOW: PITTING A MANGO
Hold the mango on end with the stem up and a narrow side facing you. Cut straight down the length of the mango, beginning about ¼ inch from the stem. Your knife will glide by the flat side of the pit. If you should hit the pit, adjust your cut accordingly. Repeat on the other side. The small amount of fruit clinging to the pit cannot be removed easily and must be discarded–or eaten in private!
Chapter 10
Fish
Fish is the most popular animal protein on the planet. It’s no wonder why: Fish cooks quickly, adapts to an array of seasonings, and provides beneficial nutrients with relatively few calories. As worldwide demand for fish has increased, wild stocks have gradually become depleted, which has led to an increase in farmed or aquacultured fish. Both wild and farmed fish have pros and cons.
Wild Fish and Farmed Fish
The quality of any fish is determined by its species, how and where it was raised, its