2287. QUAILS roasted with BACON and FOIE GRAS

yields eight servings


8 quails
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 ounces foie gras
16 strips bacon

Rinse the quails and pat them dry. Use poultry shears or a sharp knife to cut away the feet and any extra neck skin. Season them inside and out with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the foie gras into 8 equal pieces. Place a small amount of each piece into the cavity of each bird, and place the remainder on the breast of each bird. Wrap two strips of bacon tightly around each bird to hold the foie gras in place, securing the bacon with kitchen string or toothpicks if necessary.

Place the wrapped quails, breast-side up, on a roasting pan fitted with a rack and roast for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the juices from the bird are rosy and no longer red. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the cranberry relish. (see recipe)


bacon recipe courtesy of: Molly O'Neill, "Fowl Play," The New York Times, November 22, 1998