Drizzled with a punchy peppercorn sauce, this easy, roasted quail dish is the epitome of fall comfort food.
By James O. Fraioli / Photography by Tucker + Hossler
November is the perfect month for cozy Northwest dishes like this one. Here, we feature two northern Bobwhite quails served on a bed of wild rice topped with a creamy peppercorn sauce. This delicious fall meal is featured in my cookbook, Golden Steer Steakhouse Las Vegas. The dish is easy to make and can be quickly assembled in your galley or kitchen. Bobwhite quail, if you’re not familiar, is a moderate-sized quail and the most common species of quail in America. Though you don’t typically see them offered every day in your local supermarket, quail can be ordered easily from various farms with a few days’ notice. You can also try another small upland bird like squab, partridge, dove, or grouse, or go larger with a game hen such as Cornish, pheasant, or guinea fowl. When making the peppercorn sauce, different types of peppercorns will work, such as green or pink, but black peppercorns seem to be best because of their distinct flavor and appearance in the sauce.
ROASTED NORTHWEST QUAIL WITH WILD RICE
Serves 1 or 2
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 quail, cleaned
1 cup cooked wild rice, heated
2 tablespoons Peppercorn Sauce, recipe follows
Chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add the oil to a large sauté pan along with the quail. Place in the oven and roast the quail until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Arrange the warmed wild rice in the center of a serving plate and place the roasted quail on top. Drizzle the Peppercorn Sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Peppercorn Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
½ tablespoon white roux (1 part olive oil, 1 part flour)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon seasoning salt
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup beef stock
½ teaspoon A-1 Steak Sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Heinz 57 Sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, roughly crushed
¼ cup finely chopped button mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped white onion
Begin by making the roux: In a sauté pan over low heat, combine 1 part olive oil with 1 part flour and mix well. Cook the roux, stirring frequently, until it reaches the consistency of a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and reserve until ready to use.
In a sauté pan over low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, seasoning salt, chicken and beef stocks, A-1, ketchup, Heinz 57, Worcestershire, vinegar, and the peppercorns. Whisk to combine. Add the chopped mushrooms, celery, and onion, and continue whisking. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat. Add the roux to thicken the sauce, and whisk occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve warm in a gravy boat.
