Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [121]
2. Remove the quail from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
3. For the grits, put the water, milk, thyme, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to medium-low so that the mixture simmers gently. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, until the grits thicken enough to pull away from the sides of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and hot pepper sauce. Let cool slightly, then spoon the grits into the cavity of each prepared quail, stuffing each bird until full.
5. Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the rub all over the birds, especially under the legs and wings, patting it in with your fingers. Wrap 1 slice of bacon over the wings and breast of each bird, overlapping the first end of the bacon to hold it down. Secure the second end of the bacon with a wooden toothpick. The legs will remain exposed.
6. Heat the grill as directed.
7. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the birds on the grill on their sides with the legs slightly askew, as if they are sleeping on their sides. Cover and grill until nicely grill-marked on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium to medium-well (155° to 165°F). The meat will be a bit more pink than chicken when done.
8. Remove the toothpicks and serve the quail on a plate or platter on their sides (as they were grilled). Or position the birds breast-side up by pushing them gently onto the plate or platter on their backs.
Smoky Tapenade Game Hens
Game hens can be butterflied and quickly grilled or left whole and slowly grill-roasted via indirect heat. The latter method allows you to infuse smoky aromas deep into the meat with wood chips or chunks. We like to use cherry and apple wood with poultry. Hickory produces a rich smoke that overwhelms these delicate birds, but oak would work if you can’t find cherry or apple.
TIMING
Prep: 15 minutes (plus 5 minutes for pesto)
Marinate: 2 to 4 hours (optional)
Soak wood chips: 1 hour
Grill: 40 to 50 minutes
GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• 1 cup wood chips (cherry, apple, or oak)
• Smoker box or foil packet if using a gas grill (see page 39)
• Long-handled spatula
• Long-handled tongs
• Long-handled basting brush
* * *
THE GRILL
Gas:
Indirect heat, medium (325° to 350°F)
3- or 4-burner grill–middle burner(s) off
2-burner grill–1 side off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, medium ash
Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)
20 replacement coals
Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)
4 Cornish game hens, about 1¼ pounds each
1½ cups Tapenade Parsley Pesto (page 398)
Oil for coating grill grate
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the game hens inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels. Rub 1 cup of the pesto evenly over the inside and outside of the birds. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours if you have the time (this intensifies the flavor). Otherwise, let the hens rest at room temperature while you heat the grill.
2. Soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour. Heat the grill as directed, and add the wood chips to the coals. If using a gas grill without a smoker box, put the chips in foil, poke holes in the foil, and put the foil packet directly over one of the gas burners (see page 39).
3. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the hens, breast-side down, on the grill away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers about 170°F, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn the hens frequently and baste with the remaining ½ cup pesto. The final turn should leave the hens breast-side up. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay at around 350°F.
4. Remove the hens to a platter, cover loosely