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1 Grate the ginger onto a cutting board, using a ginger grater or a Microplane. Gather up the grated ginger and place it in a mound in the middle of a double thickness of paper towel. Pick up the corners of the paper towel and gently press the grated ginger over a small bowl to release the juice; you should have about 2 tablespoons ginger juice. Set it aside.

2 Heat the oven to 425°F.

3 Using kitchen shears or a chef’s knife, cut the backbone out of the quail, and then cut off the feet if necessary. Discard any organs. Put the quail in a medium bowl or a gallon-size locking food storage bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, reserved ginger juice, vinegar, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Pour the marinade over the quail, keeping the empty marinade bowl at hand (you need not clean it). Add the honey and cornstarch to the empty marinade bowl, and keep it close by. Let the quail marinate for 10 minutes.

4 Take the birds from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and season the birds on both sides with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, and maintain a hard boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of this liquid to the bowl containing the honey and cornstarch, whisk them together to make a glaze, and reserve.

5 Pour the canola oil into a large cast-iron skillet and heat it over high heat until the oil smokes. Add the birds, breast side down (in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough), and sear them until their skin is nicely golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip them so the breast is facing up, spoon the glaze liberally over their breasts, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the quail are cooked through, about 5 minutes. (If you had to sear them in batches, gather the birds in the same pan; it’s fine if they overlap a bit when they go in the oven.) Baste the birds with pan drippings.

6 Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Drizzle ⅓ cup of the reduced warm marinade over the greens, and toss until they are evenly coated and softened. Add more liquid to taste, but avoid overdressing the greens. Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top each mound with 1 warm quail. Serve immediately.

WEST INDIES SALAD

serves 4 as an appetizer or 8 as a cocktail-hour snack • TIME: 5 minutes preparation, 1 hour marination

As sure as “beignet” says New Orleans or “she-crab soup” says Charleston, “West Indies Salad” says Mobile, Alabama, because it was there that William Bayley, chef-proprietor of Bayley’s Corner, invented this simple yet impressive marinated crab salad in 1947. Served in a butter lettuce cup, or over fresh greens, it’s as swell an appetizer as you could serve your in-laws; on a plate, with a passel of saltines, it’s a crab dip for a rowdier gathering.

8 ounces fresh crab claw meat (not canned; about 1½ cups)

1 medium sweet onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, or distilled white vinegar

¼ cup vegetable or peanut oil

6 ounces (about 6 cups) tender salad greens, such as butter lettuce, green leaf lettuce, arugula, lolla rossa, dandelion greens, or any mixture thereof

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon (leaves from 4 to 6 stems)

Saltines or other water crackers (optional)

1 In a medium bowl, mix the crab and the onion, tossing gently with a fork until evenly combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

2 In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the vegetable oil and ¼ cup cold water until the mixture is thoroughly emulsified. Pour the dressing over the crab and onion mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3 Put the salad greens in a large salad bowl. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the marinated crab and onion mixture over the greens. Return the crab salad to the bowl it marinated in, add the tarragon, and toss gently with a fork until the tarragon is evenly distributed