Quails are small game birds grown commercially for their meat and eggs.They have lean,meaty flesh with a delicate flavor and require very less cooking time.
There are 4 steps to this recipe.
- Smoking
- Marinating
- Stuffing
- Roasting
I have smoked the quail with lemon tea,demerara sugar and basmati rice before roasting it in the oven. It imparted a beautiful flavor and fragrance to the meat. The smoking part isn’t difficult at all so please do not skip the step.The stuffing is with long grain rice, nuts and raisins. So each quail can be served as a complete meal.
Quails are not easily available in the local markets as poultry. I ordered fresh quails from an online store FishandMeat which caters to people in Hyderabad.They have an impressive array of fresh seafood and meats.The quails came clean,dressed and neatly packed in airtight containers. The meat looked fresh and tender. When the ingredients are fresh and of good quality,it makes cooking interesting because you know the final product is going to be worth the effort.
Smoked and Stuffed Quail
Step One-Smoking:
Ingredients:
- Lemon tea 1 tbsp.
- Demerara sugar 2 tbsp.
- Basmati rice 2 tbsp.
- 8 small quails
- oil for brushing
Method
Line a wok with aluminium foil. Put tea,sugar and rice on it.Brush the quails with oil and place on a wire rack.Place this rack in the wok and cover it tightly with a lid or foil.Turn on heat. Let it smoke for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered until you prepare the marinade.
Step two-Marinate:
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses
- 4 tbsp. honey
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tsp. red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp. garam masala(cloves,cinnamon,cardamom)
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp. olive oil
Method
Mix all the ingredients and brush the marinade on the smoked birds inside out.Leave it to marinate for at least 4 hours.
Step three-Stuffing:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup basmati rice washed ,soaked and cooked with salt
- 1 tbsp. ghee
- 8 almonds halved
- 8 cashewnuts halved
- 2 tbsp. raisins
- 1 tbsp. fried/caramelized onions
Method
Heat ghee in a pan. Saute the nuts and raisins till golden in color. Add the fried nuts and onions to the cooked rice and mix well. Use this as a stuffing. Spoon this mixture in the quail cavity and secure it with a thread.
Step four- Roasting:
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Remove the marinated quails from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Brush a baking tray with oil and place the stuffed quails on it. Roast in the middle rack for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.
Aromas and Flavors from my Kitchen 
My first taste of quail was simply delish! 🌿
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You would enjoy this one too👍🏻😊
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Yay! 😍
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Wow this is great one of my fave is quail
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Thanks Nena!
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Always welcome 😊🙏
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Yummers!!! 😍
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The iPhone 7 photo looks better 😉 I would love this dish!
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Haha! Thanks Christy.
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wonderful !! special mention for the innovative corn flower presentation..
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Thanks Reena😊😊
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I have never cooked or eaten quail – but it looks good! Love the flower with corn kernels and peas 🙂 I’m with you on cameras – I need to spend some time learning how to take better pictures, props, etc.
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I like the write up about food blogging. I am very new to it. Yes there is work into the pictures, from making them appealing to describing the essence of a bite. I like reading others to help me along with my wording.
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IPhone pictures look better to me. I use my IPhone as well but would like to get more involved with a real camera and lighting.
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Even though I like quail, HD has warned me not to buy them anymore… 😦 They have slightly medicinal taste which does make it difficult for many to digest… hehe… I totally love the way this quail roast looks… full of flavors and moreish…
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It has nice look !! It must be delicious !! Thanks for your sharing !!
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Thank you so much dear Annie. It was delicately delicious.
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Great Post 🙂
Hey just now I Wrote a post now on ” Benefits Of Quail Eggs ”
check it now – https://thablablog.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/benefits-of-quail-eggs/
Thanks ! 🙂
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Thank you! I will check your post right away👍🏻
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Thanks skd ! 🙂
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The link doesn’t work.
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https://thablablog.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/benefits-of-quail-eggs/
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Oh how I wish I could find quail to cook with! This looks amazing!
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Thank you. Maybe Amazon can find them for you
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Great idea!!!
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This looks tasty! I use a different recipe for stuffed quail but will try this too.
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