“I enjoyed the originality of chef Michael Ryan’s walnut and grape salad with quail at Range in Myrtleford. I’d love to make it for Easter.”
Stephanie Sweet, Geelong, Vic
To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, , GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.
Ingredients
Grape dressing
Method
Main
1.Combine ¼ cup olive oil, lemon juice and rosemary in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, add quail and turn to coat, cover and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
2.Meanwhile, blanch vine leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Refresh in cold water, pat dry with absorbent paper and trim off any stems. Wrap each quail in a vine leaf to cover the breast, tucking legs under.
3.Combine onion, sugar and ½ tsp sea salt in a bowl and stand for 30 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess liquid and place in a bowl with grapes, walnuts, radicchio and parsley.
4.Heat a chargrill plate over a medium heat, brush vine leaf-wrapped quail with remaining olive oil and cook leg-side first for 10 minutes, then turn and cook until cooked through (about 5 minutes).
5.For grape dressing, use a hand-held blender or food processor to process grapes until finely chopped, then pass through a fine sieve (makes about 150ml juice). Add walnut oil and vinegar and season to taste, then process until emulsified. (This dressing needs to be used immediately as it will split if left to stand. If it splits, blend again.) Drizzle 2 tbsp of grape dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Drizzle a little dressing on each plate, top with salad and quail, and serve with lemon cheeks to the side.
Ask your butcher to butterfly and remove thigh bones from quails. If fresh vine leaves are unavailable, you can use pickled vine leaves, which are available from select supermarkets and delicatessens. To use, rinse well and pat dry with absorbent paper.
Notes
