Boneless Quail Stuffed with Crabmeat
The combination of sausage with crab is traditional in Virginia cooking, and this flavorful stuffing for the quail makes this a sensational dish. Obtain the Surry sausage from www.thevirginiacompany.com if you cannot find it locally. Caul fat is a lacy fat used because it encases and bastes at the same time; ask your butcher for it. The stuffing and sauce may be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Allow the stuffing to reach room temperature before stuffing the quail. Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat; do not swirl in the butter until just before serving.
Ingredients
- Quail
- Boned Quail - 6
- Stuffing
- Surry Sausages - 12 ounces
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 1 pound, stemmed and sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Shallots - 2 large, minced
- Garlic Cloves - 2, minced
- Chicken Breast Meat - 4 ounces, boneless, skinless
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2/3 cup
- Crabmeat - 8 ounces, picked over
- Fresh Chives - 1 bunch, minced
- Caul Fat - 4 ounces (optional)
- Sauce
- Unsalted veal stock or chicken stock - 2 cups, cooked to reduce to 3/4 cup
- Shallots - 3, sliced
- Grainy Mustard - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Rinse the quail, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Prick the sausages with a fork and place the sausages in a medium saute pan or skillet with the water. Cover the pan, place it over high heat, and cook the sausages for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, to cook them through. Drain any remaining water from the pan, place the pan uncovered over medium heat, and brown the sausages on all sides, turning them with tongs. Remove the sausages from the pan and dice them into small chunks. Set aside.
Add the olive oil to the sausage pan and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are brown and limp, stirring constantly. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Reduce heat to low and saute an additional 3 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Set aside.
Place the chicken meat in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the container, add the cream along with some salt and pepper, and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary.
Scrape the chicken mousse into a mixing bowl with a rubber spatula and stir in the sausage, mushroom mixture, crabmeat, and chives. Stuff the quail cavities as full as possible with the mixture. If using the caul fat, wrap each quail in a double layer; otherwise, skewer the neck and body cavities closed with toothpicks.
Place the quail in a shallow roasting pan. Roast them in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing registers 175 F. Remove the quail from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
To make the sauce: While the quail are roasting, or in advance, combine the reduced stock and shallots in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shallots are tender. Strain the shallots from the sauce, reserving the reduced liquid. Puree the shallots in a blender or food processor and return them to the liquid. Stir in the mustard, salt, and pepper. Place the pan over medium heat and swirl in the butter until melted.
To serve: Pool sauce on each warmed serving plate. Top with a roasted quail.
