Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce

Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce is an exquisite dish that eloquently marries rustic charm with sophisticated elegance, encapsulating a culinary experience that delights the senses and elevates dining to an art form. At the heart of this dish lies quail, a delicacy known for its tender, succulent meat that, when roasted, achieves a golden-brown crispness on the outside while remaining wonderfully moist and flavorful inside. The quail’s inherently rich, gamey taste is both distinct and refined, making it a prized ingredient among gourmands.

Before roasting, the quails are lovingly prepared with a rub of extra virgin olive oil, salt and ground black pepper. This simple preparation underscores the quail’s natural flavors, allowing the meat’s quality and freshness to shine through. As the quails roast, they’re basted with their own juices, ensuring that every bite is infused with a depth of flavor that is both robust and nuanced.

Complementing the roasted quail is the Blackberry Sage Sauce, a masterstroke of culinary creativity that brings a vibrant contrast of flavors and textures to the dish. Fresh blackberries, with their lush sweetness and slight tartness, form the base of the sauce, while red wine adds a layer of complexity and richness. Red wine vinegar introduces a bright acidity that cuts through the sweetness, and honey rounds out the sauce with its natural, mellow sweetness. Sage, an herb celebrated for its earthy, slightly peppery flavor, is chopped and added to the sauce, where it imparts a subtle warmth and sophistication.

As the sauce simmers, it reduces down to a lusciously thick consistency that clings gracefully to the quail, enveloping it in a glossy, deeply flavored embrace. A final touch of butter is whisked in off the heat, lending the sauce an irresistible silkiness that makes it a perfect foil for the quail’s crispy exterior and tender meat. The sauce’s strikingly rich hue, a deep purple with ruby highlights, adds visual drama to the plate, making the dish as beautiful to behold as it is to taste.

Serving the Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce is an exercise in elegance. Each quail, perfectly roasted, is plated with a generous drizzle of the blackberry sage sauce, creating a tableau that is vibrant and inviting.

This dish is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of flavors, textures, and aromas that come together in perfect harmony. The roasted quail, with its crispy skin and tender meat, provides a delightful contrast to the smooth, rich blackberry sage sauce. The interplay of the quail’s gamey richness with the sauce’s fruity depth and herbal notes makes each bite a discovery, revealing layers of flavor that are at once comforting and exotic.

Ideal for a special occasion or an intimate dinner, the Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce transcends the ordinary, offering diners not just nourishment, but an experience to be savored and remembered. It’s a dish that speaks of care, craftsmanship, and the joy of sharing good food, making it a testament to the beauty and pleasure of culinary arts.

Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce pairs exceptionally well with elephant garlic mashed potatoes, as the creamy, subtle garlic flavor of the potatoes complements the quail’s richness and the blackberry sage sauce’s sweet and earthy notes. This combination creates a harmonious balance of flavors, enhancing the overall dining experience with a blend of sophisticated tastes and satisfying textures.

Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Kyle Taylor Course: MainsCuisine: New AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

The Roasted Quail with Blackberry Sage Sauce pairs succulent, crispy-skinned quail with a rich, aromatic sauce of blackberries and sage for an elegantly flavorful dining experience.

Ingredients

• For the Quail:

• 4 whole 4 quails, cleaned and patted dry

• 2 tablespoons 2 extra virgin olive oil

• to taste, salt and ground black pepper

• For the Blackberry Sage Sauce:

• 1 cup 1 fresh blackberries

• 1/2 cup 1/2 red wine

• 5-6 5-6 sage leaves, roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon 1 red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons 2 honey

• 1 tablespoon 1 butter

• to taste, salt and ground black pepper

Directions

• Prepare the Quail:
  Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Rub the quails with extra virgin olive oil and season them generously inside and out with salt and ground black pepper. Arrange the quails on a roasting tray.
• Roast the Quail:
  Roast the quail in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C).
• Make the Blackberry Sage Sauce:
  While the quails are roasting, combine the blackberries, red wine, red wine vinegar, sage leaves, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, ands cook for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the mixture to reduce slightly.
  
  Strain the sauce to remove the blackberry seeds and sage leaves. Return back to the saucepan. While over medium heat, stir in the butter until it’s fully incorporated into the sauce. Remove from the heat, and season the sauce with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
• Serve:
  Once the quails are roasted, let them rest for a few minutes before serving, allowing their juices to redistribute. Arrange the quails on plates and drizzle generously with the blackberry sage sauce.
  Serve immediately with sides like garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, or rice.