These little birds are versatile in the kitchen, Well, they can be prepared baked, stuffed, roasted or stewed, but either way they are delicious. Because they are small in size, two birds are usually served per diner. It is a meat high in protein and low in fat.
Elliott Castellanos, executive chef of his restaurant, Bontá, in El Tejar, Chimaltenango, proposes dressing the quail with an exquisite elderberry sauce, which is a plant whose flowers and berries have various nutritional properties and the latter are generally consumed in jelly. As a garnish, a nutritious polenta, of Italian origin, which is made with corn grits, and which is high in fiber and antioxidants.
Ingredients
4 clean quails
2 cups chicken broth or consommé
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper
For the elderberry sauce:
200g bacon, finely chopped
1 cup elderberry jam
1 cup of red wine
1/2 cup of the juice produced when baking the quail
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper
For the polenta:
1 liter of water
1 teaspoon salt
2 butter spoons
250 g corn semolina
Preparation
Season the quail with salt and pepper to taste. Tie the legs with kitchen twine and set them aside. In a baking dish, pour the chicken broth, arrange the quail and rosemary and bake them for half an hour.
For the elderberry sauce, brown the chopped bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Withdraw. Pour the elderberry jam, red wine and quail cooking juice into a medium pot.
Add the bacon and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and reduce until it thickens slightly and has the consistency of a sauce. Bathe the quails with this sauce.
For the polenta, place a liter of water in a pot on the heat. You can add aromatic spices to taste and when boiling for a few minutes, they are removed. Add a pinch of salt, butter and corn grits, little by little, without stopping stirring.
Once all the polenta is integrated and without lumps, lower the heat and let it cook over medium heat. Keep stirring frequently and let it cook for 40 minutes.
When the polenta is completely cooked, you can add a few tablespoons of cream or cheese. Remove from the fire. Serve it hot so that it stays creamy.
Chef profile
- Chef profile
- Elliott Castellanos Guillén is a professional chef with more than 30 years of experience.
- He is a bread maker and pastry chef, as well as a national and international cooking instructor.
- Leads the radio program Chef Elliott at home.
- He is a member of the Latin American Federation of Master Chefs.
- He is president of the Chimaltenango Gastronomic Collective.
- Organize and participate in different altruistic and educational activities in your community.
- He has organized various culinary competitions and has obtained several recognitions at gastronomic festivals. He is the executive chef of his restaurant, Bontá, in El Tejar, Chimaltenango
#quail #elderberry #polenta #sauce
