Spatchcocked Quail with wine and Cream

This is a green recipe

I have Valerie from the Double G Ranch farm in Leicester, NC to thank for this glorious dish. We went there at the weekend and bought the quails after a tour of their property where they rear goats, pigs, chickens and ducks.

Though I planned to add parsley, in my rush to get the food snapped for the blog so we could devour it, I forgot! It was still delicious, I highly recommend eating this with boiled new potatoes; they're coming into season now and they soak up the creamy juices wonderfully. Add a crisp green salad to cut through the richness and you have yourself a dish worthy of a top restaurant.

To spatchcock is to split the bird so that it sits flat. Do this with a pair of sturdy kitchen scissors, by snipping down either side of the backbone which you then discard. Splay the bird and push down on the breast to flatten. Do this thoroughly, I didn't and they were still a bit curved which meant they took longer to cook.

Ingredients for 2 People
- Two quails, cleaned and spatchcocked (see above)
- One large or two small shallots finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of butter
- A glass of dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms (I like the little brown ones, I think they are called 'Bella' in the states)
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- A handful of chopped flat leaf parsley (include the stalks, they are sweet)

Method
- Heat the canola oil to a medium heat and fry the shallots until lightly brown
- Salt and pepper the quail and add skin down to the pan
- Brown on both sides
- Turn down the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through
- Check to see the bird is almost cooked by skewering a leg or making a little slit. The meat should start to look opaque but the juices should still be reddish-pink (this is important because you don't want the quails to overcook)
-Now add the butter and allow it to melt and foam in the pan
-Turn the heat high and IMMEDIATELY add the wine and reduce, if you are using a non-stick pan (which is best because you get lots of caramelized bits on the bottom), scrape to deglaze
-Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms
-Cook the mushrooms until softish
-Add the cream, mix well with the sauce in the pan
- Cook until a thick, tan colour
-Sprinkle in the parsley, serve

* If you like messy eating this one is for you, eventually you will have to get in there and pull the delicious flesh off with your hands, but that makes it more enjoyable!*