Contributed by: Chef Arthur Gonzalez, Panxa Cocina – Long Beach
Quail Confit
quail confit, yam terrine, cascabel-cashew mole, charred frisee
Ingredients:
3lbs. of Quail (we prefer de-boned)
3-4 cups duck fat
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted and ground cloves
1 teaspoon guajillo powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leaf ground to a powder and a few whole bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 crushed garlic cloves
Directions:
- 1 Day before, take salt, sugar, cloves, guajillo powder, cinnamon bay leaf, and pepper, blend to make a rub. Rinse quail and pat dry, rub the dry rub ingredients
- into the quail. Place quail on a rack that can drain, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Pre-heat oven to 275
- Take quail and gently rinse off rub, pat dry.
- Layer quail in baking dish and add garlic and whole bay leaves.
- Pour enough duck fat to cover quail
- cover baking dish with foil
- Bake at 275 (approximately 2 hours) until meat is tender and falling off
- You can remove quail from duck fat, let drain and crisp the outside of the quail on a plancha, or you can let quail cool in the duck fat, and if totally covered with duck fat can stay for up to two weeks in refrigerator. For service you can crisp quail to order on a plancha or flyer.
- Strain duck fat and can be used again.
- Panxa likes to serve this dish with mole, but really goes with with any type of salsa, tortillas and pickled onions.