Jean Pierre's Quail with Port

Andrea and Jean Pierre came to the country for the weekend and brought quail for Saturday dinner.  

Jean Pierre's Quail

Jean Pierre, a fabulous french trained chef,  is taking a sabbatical from restaurant life and sharing his knowledge and insights into the food industry with the students at George Brown.  He made an exceptional dinner of quail with a port sauce and mushroom risotto, using the last of the morels from the front lawn that we dried last spring.

Jean Pierre's Quail with Port

Jean Pierre at the stove

12 quail

1 clove of garlic

2 shallots

1 small onion

parley

thyme

sage

1 dried chili

salish salt

pepper

Port Sauce

quail bones
1/4 cup of port

1 carrot

1/2 small onion 

bouquet garnis

salt 

pepper

Cut quail in half along breast bone and remove the breast and back bone leaving the leg and wing bone in place. Set bones aside for stock.  Chop onions, garlic and shallots, mix with fresh thyme, parsley, and sage, salt pepper and crunched chili, and dry rub the quail.  Let rest for at least 2 hours.

Quail with dry rub

Meanwhile in a heavy pot,  sweat the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil, brown  the quail bones, and add 1/4 cup of port, cover with water, add chopped carrots, and pepper and bouquet garnis.  On low heat, bring to simmering boil, and skim foam from top.   Reduce heat, and simmer for a half hour.  Strain and reduce by 70%.  Make a slurry by slowly adding a bit of the stock to 2 tablespoons of flour in a bowl, while mixing until smooth, and then slowly mix into stock.  Simmer until the stock thickens. add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and a tablespoon of butter.

Jean Pierre's Quail  with Port 

 Heat cast iron pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, place quail skin down, sear, and flip in approximately 5 minutes, cook other side for 5 minutes and they are done. Serve with sauce