Recipe: Roast Quail

Roast Quail


The one absolute must about roasting quail is that the skin becomes dark brown and crisp. It is this darkened, crisp skin that is delicious and converts people into quail lovers. It seems to me that a slightly sweet coating brings out the best in quail, so I'm adding a favorite baste of butter and honey. Serve the quail with Basic Polenta (post later) or Spoon Bread (post later) and some bitter greens.


2 quail

¼ lb butter

2 T honey

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the quail under cold water and pat dry. Put the butter and honey in a small pan and melt over low heat until the basting sauce is blended. Dip each quail and turn on all sides to coat with butter mixture. Salt and pepper all over. Place on a rack in a shallow pan. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, basting the quail twice with the butter mixture. Roast until the skin is dark brown. Remove from the oven, split the quail down the back, and serve.

Serves 1 or 2