For the pomegranate stuffing:
45 g day-old, white sourdough bread
½ of a small onion, peeled and finely chopped
35 g hazelnuts
35 g almonds
50 g dried apricots, finely chopped
100 g fresh red/black cherries, pitted / pomegranate seeds
1 small rosemary stalks, very finely chopped
Small handful fresh parsley, very finely chopped
4 large sage leaves, very finely chopped
Leaves from 1 sprigs of fresh thyme
Zest 1/2 small orange
1 Tbsp of pomegranate molasses, homemade or bought
1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the quails:
4 (organic if possible) quails
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
50 g unsalted butter, melted
Extra pomegranate molasses to drizzle
2 fresh pomegranates, halved and torn into quarters
How to make:
Start by preheating your oven to 180C/ 350F/ GAS4.
Tear your sourdough into chunks, place it in your food processor and pulse it into fine breadcrumbs.
Tip #1: The best breadcrumbs are made from bread that had a chance to dry out so use some that’s one or two days old.
Get a nice big bowl where you can make your stuffing and pour the bread into it, add your onion. Place all almonds and hazelnuts in the food processor and process until finely chopped, but not powdered.
Add the nuts to the bread. Also add the apricots, pomegranate seeds, all your herbs, the orange zest, the pomegranate molasses and the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
Tip #2: If you get your hands involved at this point you can give a good squeeze to your stuffing. This will burst your pomegranate seeds a
nd help to release its juices.
Now get your quails and give them a wash in cold water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and lay them on a board. Grab small portions of the stuffing and fill the cavity of the birds.
Tip #3: Try not to pack the cavity too tight, the bread should absorb the juices of the birds and expand a little. If there is any stuffing left you can always place it in foil and roast for 30 minutes in the oven.
Place the birds in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and give them a massage. Then season with salt and a little pepper. Place in the oven and roast for about 1 hour or until the quails are cooked through and falling of the bone.
Tip #4: For more succulent quails cover the roasting tin with foil for the first 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for the remaining time.
Half and hour before the quails are done brush them all over with your melted butter and return them to the oven.
Tip #5: Twist the leg of the quail backwards to see if the meat detaches from the bone and put the tip of a sharp knife under the wing (the thickest part of the meat) to see if the juices run clear. If both of these tests work, you have a happy bird.
When cooked, remove from the oven and drizzle with more pomegranate molasses. Rest the meat for about 5 to 10 minutes under foil and serve with fresh pomegranate, your favourite roast veg, or some saffron couscous.
A recipe fit for a king. This delicious Lebanese recipe is traditionally served at Christmas. We chose to make it with quails as they are also in season but you could easily substitute them for chicken, turkey, pheasant or, if you’re feeling cheeky, goose.