Bacon Wrapped Quail with Quail Gravy and Simple Risotto

Hello friends.  Just Jeremy again.  Nothing much bro about this bromantic episode.  But I want to share what is probably the best dish I've ever made.  My father in law gave me about 6 quail this weekend and this is what I did with it.  I'd never had quail before, so this was definitely an adventure.  I decided to make a bacon wrapped quail with simple risotto.  The gravy was a last minute decision, but a wise one.

Here it is...

You will need:

- About 6 Quail

- 8-10 sprigs of fresh rosemary

- About 7 cloves of fresh garlic

- 1 cup Arborio rice

- 1 and ½ sticks of butter

- Salt

- Fresh ground pepper

- Red pepper flakes

- 2 cups chicken broth

- Flour

- 1 pack thick cut bacon

- 1 small yellow onion

- About a handful of fresh basil

- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Let’s get started.  First we are working on the quail. 

- Preheat your oven to 325

- Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic

- Finely chop 5 sprigs of rosemary

- Melt 1 stick of butter in a mixing bowl (I used the microwave)

- Add the garlic, rosemary, salt to taste, about 5 grinds of the pepper mill, and about a tablespoon of red pepper flakes to the mixing bowl and whisk well

- Now clean your quail

- Now toss your quail in the butter bath, toss it good, real good

- Now get a large casserole dish

- Line it with bacon

- Wrap one quail for every two pieces of bacon

- If you are using a standard pack of bacon you will end up having one extra piece.  I just wrapped the 6^th quail in 3 pieces.

- Now put it in the oven

- Set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes

Now it’s risotto time!!!!

- Get your chicken broth warming in a small sauce pot, about medium heat, then reduce to low when it’s cooking time.

- Chop the rest of that garlic, rosemary, basil, and the little onion.

- Chopped?  Good.  Put that ½ stick of butter in a large skillet.

- Add the onion, rosemary, basil, and garlic.

- Get that business simmering on medium high.

- Let this simmer until the onion is translucent.

- Translucent now?  Add the cup of Arborio.

- Using a ladle scoop out one ladle of broth and add it to the skillet.

- Stir constantly (I like to risotto with a wooden spoon).

- Continue to stir, when it appears that the Arborio has absorbed that ladle of broth, add another and continue the process.

- Keep going until you are almost out of broth.

- Keep stirring.

- On the last ladle (by this time your quail should be about 2 minutes away from being done), add the peas.

- Stir it in really well and turn off the heat.

- Take the quail out of the oven.

- Empty the broth pot.

It’s GRAVY TIME!!!!

- Add the drippings to the broth pot.

- Turn burner on medium low.

- Add about ¼ cup of flour at a time to the pot and whisk.

- Continue until the gravy is either as thick or thin as you like it.

Now plate it up and enjoy.