Name: Spice-crusted quail with buttered rice and figs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 butterflied quail (about 900gm); ¼ cup olive oil; 6 figs; Buttered rice; 100 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 115 gm vermicelli, broken into 4cm lengths; 400 gm basmati rice; Baharat spice mix; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 small cinnamon stick, roughly chopped; ½ tsp whole cloves; ½ tsp ground allspice; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp cardamom pods; ½ nutmeg, finely grated

Spice-crusted quail with buttered rice and figs

Rodney Dunn recipe for spice-crusted quail with buttered rice and figs.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

30M

Total

45M

Quail make for a very hands-on meal, but this is all part of the fun. If you wish to dine a little more elegantly you can ask your butcher to partly bone the birds by removing the ribcage.

Ingredients

8 butterflied quail (about 900gm)

¼ cup olive oil

6 figs

Buttered rice

100 gm butter, coarsely chopped

115 gm vermicelli, broken into 4cm lengths

400 gm basmati rice

Baharat spice mix

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 small cinnamon stick, roughly chopped

½ tsp whole cloves

½ tsp ground allspice

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cardamom pods

½ nutmeg, finely grated

Method

Main

1.For buttered rice, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vermicelli and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add rice, 1 tsp salt and 1 litre water and stir to combine. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff up the rice with a fork.

2.For baharat spice mix, grind all the spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks.

3.Preheat oven to 220C. Place quail flesh-side up on a tray and pat dry with paper towels, then turn and season skin with sea salt and baharat. Heat oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over high heat, add quail skin-side up and fry for 1 minute, then transfer to the oven and cook until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Serve with rice and torn figs.