1 Lb. ground pork sausage (we like a spicy Italian mix)
4 ea. Quail 
2 tsp. salt
1 Tb. pepper or favorite seasoning 
2 Tb. olive oil

• Any oven safe pan will do, but we really like cooking quail in cast iron, both for the flavor and how it cooks. oil pan with 1 Tb. of the olive oil.
• Preheat oven to 375*
• Divide sausage up into oval patties, and place into pan equally distanced
• Using kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the back bone of the quail from neck to rear to remove the spine. 
• Rub remaining oil on quail skin, and sprinkle with salt & desired seasoning
• Place each quail body over a sausage mound, tucking legs toward the center
• Place dish into the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes until quail and sausage both register at 155* internal temp. remove from oven and let rest (it will keep cooking up to 165*)
• Serve with your favorite side dishes... it was amazing with roasted spaghetti squash ;)

 4-8 skinless quail (in this recipe, I use 2 per person, although usually one is enough, but I want the leftovers!!)
2 Tb. olive oil or butter
1 white onion, diced 
kosher salt
a pinch each of cayenne and nutmeg
2-3 Tb all purpose flour
12 oz. broth (I used turkey)
4 oz. heavy cream

• ​sprinkle quail liberally with salt on all sides
• place quail in a roaster or dutch oven with onions and olive oil and spices over medium high heat (375*)
• add lid and "bake" for 30 minutes until quail is cooked through and onions have caramelized
• remove quail to a side plate
• in roaster, add flour and stir until it soaks up all the oil
• pour in cold broth and cream, stir well until it comes to a simmer and thickens (simmer at least 1 minute)
• at this point, I pureed the gravy with an immersion blender, it is optional but makes a velvety and delicious sauce
• place quail back in to the pan with the sauce and cover
• cook for another 30+ minutes 
• meanwhile prepare your sides (we ate it with basmati rice & vegetables- see additional recipe below for the leftovers)

LEFTOVER QUAIL "Rice-Not-Roni" 

leftover quail, remove meat from bones 
leftover rice
leftover gravy from recipe above

• stir together leftover gravy with rice and any remaining quail meat
• refrigerate or freeze for later
• reheat and enjoy these especially comforting leftovers  :) 

PAN GRILLED QUAIL 
So easy and so delicious! It's my new favorite 20 minute weeknight recipe :) 

I use a weighted cast iron grill pan, that I preheat well over medium low heat to simulate a grill, but you could just as easily grill these too or even put them in a plain old cast iron pan, but I do recommend weighting them with a bacon weight (or a clean brick if that's what you have)

I season the quail with my favorite multipurpose rub (premix, makes enough for several meals):
1 Tb. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano 

​I really like to sprinkle the quail with a little bit of white vinegar, this step is optional but I really like the flavor and it helps the seasoning stick to the birds better. Just don't let it sit on the quail (have you ever made ceviche? same concept) 

Place the birds side down in the hot pan and place the weight on top. Pan should be hot enough to be sizzling, but still on medium low heat. let cook for about 8-10 minutes. remove weight and turn birds to the other side. you should have a nice grill marks and caramelized skin. place weight back on top and cook for about 8-10 minutes on second side. when time is up, turn off heat. I like to leave the weight in place but let it sit for about 5 minutes to "rest" so that when you serve them they are juicier. 

shown in picture with a simple saute of kale, onions, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes with goat cheese (and fresh baked bread, not shown)