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.