Crispy Smoked Quail Salad With Bourbon Molasses Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the honey, ketjap manis, and oil in a medium bowl. Nestle the quail in the marinade, ensuring that each inside cavity is moistened, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain the quail and cold-smoke (see below) for about 15 minutes. The quail should not cook in the process.
• Whisk together the molasses, vinegars, and shallot in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the bourbon.
• Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. The batter should be the consistency of whipping cream in order to lightly coat the quail.
• Heat 2 1/2 inches of the frying oil in a deep skillet (large enough to hold the quail in a single layer) to about 350°F. Dip the quail in the batter. Lift them out of the batter and hold over the container, letting the excess drip off. Fry the quail for about 4 minutes, turning once. Drain them on paper towels, cool slightly, and cut into quarters (2 legs and 2 breasts).
• Place 4 pear wedges on each of four plates. Toss the greens with a few spoonfuls of dressing and the celery hearts and pickled onions, and divide among the plates. Top the salads with the quail and sprinkle with spiced pecans. Drizzle with more dressing, if desired.
• Cold smoking allows you to cool the smoke before it reaches the food (so the food absorbs flavor without cooking. To cold-smoke, open the vents on both the bottom of the grill and the lid. Remove the lid and top rack from the grill, and center a disposable roasting pan on the coals. Place 1 1/2 cups of sawdust in the pan. Fill the drip pan between the grill and the hot coals with an aluminum or metal tub of ice. Cover the grill and smoke for 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.;
• Preheat grill pan. Season quail with salt and pepper to taste. Grill skin side down for 2-3 minutes until golden, turn over and brush with the glaze. Grill for 3-4 minutes longer, remove and brush with more glaze.;
• Place sugar, water and cayenne in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until medium colored caramel. Add walnuts and toss to coat. Remove with a slotted spoon to a parchment lined baking sheet. Tangerine Vinaigrette 2 cups tangerine juice 1 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped red onion 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon chipotle puree 3/4 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Place tangerine juice and orange juice in a small saucepan and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup. Place syrup, red wine vinegar, onion, garlic, chile powder, honey and chipotle in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Tangerine-Pomegranate Relish 2 tangerines, segmented 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 1 jalapeno, finely diced 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Assembly: Arugula Tangerine Vinaigrette Quail Relish Walnuts
• Place arugula in a large bowl and drizzle with some of the Tangerine Vinaigrette. Divide among 4 plates. Place 2 of the quail on top of arugula. Place a heaping tablespoon of the relish on top of the quail and around the plate. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Steps:

• Bring sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 cup water, then stir in bourbon, butter, molasses, and salt. Return to heat and simmer, stirring, to dissolve any hardened caramel if necessary.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and remaining ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Cool completely, then loosen from the baking sheet with a metal spatula. Store any leftovers in an airtight tin.