The Astigmatic Gourmand

This is going to be an interesting experience!
I am The Gourmand's partner and have (finally) been entrusted with writing on his blog, Eat Me!
The Gourmand has had his eyes checked & the prognosis is that he has astigmatism and needs glasses. Being who he is, he is now looking around for the ideal pair of glasses that will suit his style. And that could take some time. Until then, I guess you will have to put up with my unique and quirky writing style. I'm not one to play secretary and sit on The Gourmand's lap while he dictates a story, so I'll be doing my own thing and writing food related posts.

So what has The Gourmand been preparing since his last post?

Italian Sausages Braised with Bay Leaf, Red Wine and Yellow Peppers. This dish was served with soft White Polenta.

Pork Escalopes Marinated with Basil, Fennel Seeds, Garlic, Rosemary and Sage. These were seared and served with a Cream & White Wine sauce.

Quail Braised with Cardamom, Orange, Plums and Sherry.

Pears with Aromatic Spices and Honey.

Gemfish Baked in a Parcel with Lemon Zest, Porcini, Thyme and White Wine.

Organic Lamb Provencale with Potato and Pumpkin puree.

Roasted Quail with Red Wine, Sage and Thyme

As soon as the weather turns remotely autumnal, I go nuts and start cooking everything with red wine. And by “autumnal” I mean anything under 30c. By the time March comes around I have had enough of summer (well actually, I had enough back in December) and I cant wait to start cooking with the flavours of autumn and the approaching winter.
You could do this dish with squab pigeons, just increase the cooking times. Make sure to keep the meat pink and juicy.

Ingredients
4 quail
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
10ml red wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped sage
Fresh black + white peppers
Sea salt
600 ml rich, dark quail stock (or other stock)
300ml red wine. extra
2 tsp sugar or to taste
1 tsp of tomato paste or a splash of tomato puree (optional)
10g butter

Method
Cut away the backbone from the quails. Reserve the backbones for future stock.
Lay out the birds, as shown in the photograph, and apply pressure to the breast with your hand to flatten out. Cut away the wing at the first joint.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine (10ml), herbs and peppers.
Rub all over the quail. Leave to marinate, either, in the fridge for a long time or for a short time at room temperature.
In the meantime reduce the stock and the extra red wine (and tomato, if using) to a glaze consistency. Add sugar to balance the acid levels. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to the highest setting. Place the quail, breast side down in a baking dish and season with salt. Roast for 6 minutes. Turn them over, so they are breast side up. Season the breasts with a pinch of salt, and roast for a further 2 minutes.
The quail will be perfectly tender and moist after this time. Don’t expect them to have browned. 8 minutes in the oven is not enough time to color them.
Allow the quail to rest while you get on with the sauce.
Bring the sauce back to the boil, and add the butter, emulsifying it into the reduction. Serve the quail with the red wine reduction and a plate of roast vegetables.
4 quail will serve 2 people.