Grilled Quail with Pomegranate Molasses

I still remember the very first time that I was offered quail to eat .... they were braised in a tomato sauce and so tender and juicy.  I prefer to make a bird like these ones to be the star of the dish.

Of course, like many others I declared 'it's cruel to eat such tiny birds.'   My in-laws however convinced to my try them as they assured me that the birds were fully grown and at first bite, I fell in love with this tender yet delicate bird.    It has been a life long food passion ever since then.

On another occasion I was convinced to try Squab also simmered in a tomato sauce but these just didn't appeal to me the way the cute little quail did, so when I spy quail in a supermarket, they get popped into my grocery bag and head for home to become a gourmet delight.

They are wasted on our family who tolerate quail but would prefer chicken or duck so we eat them on the nights we are dining alone.

This last week has seen some bad bush fires nearby.  Our local and volunteer firefighters are to be commended, they fight so hard to preserve homes, people and bush land (not necessarily in that order) and work tirelessly heading into a fire while we stay protected at home. I want to commend all of our firefighters, rural fire service and special emergency services who work so diligently to protect our homes.   Thank you.

A telegraph pole caught alight on Saturday afternoon and we lost power at 4pm.
Luckily the power came back on at 5.30pm so oven grilled was to be the quails cooking method.

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Grilled Quail with Pomegranate Molasses

6 quail, cut down the back bone to butterfly

1/3 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup fine salt and 250ml boiling water

750ml room temperate water

2 bay leaves (fresh if possible)

6 peppercorns

salt, pepper

3 cloves crushed fresh garlic

Pomegranate molasses

olive oil for greasing

Firstly pour the boiling water over the sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Stir to dissolve.

Add the remaining water to cool the liquid down.

Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and leave to marinade in the brine for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours if possible stored in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill to 180C

Grease a baking tray with olive oil.

Press the quail down firmly to flatten them on the tray, with the breast facing up.

Sprinkle each quail with about 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic, salt, pepper and a drizzle of pomegrante molasses (about 1 dessertspoon per bird).  Spray with olive oil spray or brush lightly with olive oil.

Place under grill for approximately 10 minutes, rotating tray half way through.  

Check they are cooked to your liking and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Add your bottle of pomegranate molasses to the table in case you would like to drizzle with more molasses.

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Have you ever eaten quail, and do you enjoy them?

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx

Steamed Bao Buns with Peking Duck, Hoisin Sauce, Spring Onion and Cucumber

I told hubby this morning that last night 'I had a Dream'.

He asked me if I thought I was Martin Luther King.

This dream involved huge waves coming over nearby Burgess Beach all along the nearby cliffs, waves that just keep surging forward and everyone was trying to get to higher ground.
I was running to my parents house hoping to get them out in time, running with many others up the hill, then I woke up and it took me a long time to get back to sleep.   Luckily today is bright and sunny with a low swell, no huge surf in sight.

On a brighter note, we had chicken and leek individual pies recently and I commented that it is very English to have mushy peas and chips with your pies.  No. 2 son remarked 'I thought rain was very English to have with your pies', which is just classic, they do make you smile with these random comments.

We had a lovely Yum Cha dinner recently and these lovely light bao buns with Peking duck slices, curly spring onions, cucumber slices and hoisin sauce were on the menu. 
I just had to recreate them at home and they were a huge success.

I borrowed this recipe from Thermobliss and you can get the Thermomix instructions here.
I halved this bao bun recipe as there were only two of us eating and I cooked premarinated Luv-A-Duck peking flavoured duck breasts in a frying pan.

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Steamed Bao Buns

• 250 g warm water
• 60 g sugar
• 2 tsp dry yeast
• 520 g plain flour
• 60 g olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsps salt
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 500 g extra water
• Peking duck slices, either prepurchased or marinate and cook your duck breasts before slicing
• Sliced spring onion
• Sliced Cucumbers
• Hoisin sauce to serve

1. To make the bun dough, place the water, sugar and yeast to activate. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or until the mixture has turned frothy. 
2. Add the plain flour, olive oil, salt and baking powder into the  bowl and lightly mix to combine.
3. Knead for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
4. Place the dough into a greased large bowl and set aside in a warm dry place to rise for 45 minutes. 
5. Rip a piece of baking paper into strips and place over the 2 layers of the steaming trays (leaving gaps in between to allow the steam to escape). 
6. Knead the dough on an oiled bench or board. Divide the dough into approximately 15 - 18 small pieces. Roll into balls and flatten down into a circle/oval shape. 

   Place small pieces of baking paper onto half of each flattened oval and fold over (so that the baking paper is in between. 
7. Place the bao buns onto the lined steaming tray/s.
8. Half Fill the steamer or steaming appliance with  hot water and place the buns on top, with a lid over top.  Allow to steam for approximately 30 minutes.
9. Take the buns out (they will be quite wet and sticky) and serve immediately with the sliced duck, 2 pieces each of cucumber and spring onion and a spoonful of  hoisin sauce. 
10. Sit back and take the praise of your guests.

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Do you have realistic scary dreams like this one?

Do you always wake up before anything bad happens?

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn