Quail

Quail is a generic term for a number of medium-sized game birds. Although some people hunt wild quail, you can also purchase farm-raised quail. These birds are filled with protein and essential vitamins and minerals, making them a nutritious type of poultry, especially if you remove the skin before eating them and cook them without a lot of added fat.

Nutrition:
A 3-ounce serving of cooked quail without skin contains 110 calories, 19 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat, including 1 gram of saturated fat. Consuming a serving of quail provides you with 35% of the daily value for niacin, 25% of the DV for vitamin B-6, 15% of the DV for riboflavin and thiamine and 10% of the DV for vitamin C. The B vitamins niacin, vitamin B-6, riboflavin and thiamine are all essential for turning the food you eat into energy, and vitamin C is an antioxidant that is needed to make collagen, which is necessary for forming bone, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons.

Quail is a good source of minerals, with a serving providing 25% of the DV for phosphorus, 20% of the DV for iron, 15% of the DV for zinc and 6 percent of the DV for magnesium. Phosphorus helps with kidney function, cell growth and strengthening your bones. Iron is necessary to form hemoglobin and transport oxygen around your body, and zinc is important for forming DNA and protein, wound healing and immune function.

What Does Quail Taste Like?
The quail's taste is between a chicken and a duck. The most significant difference between quail, duck and chicken is the quail's size - which is only about half a pound. The quail bones are tiny and tender, meaning that many of them can be eaten - but you can also purchase semi-boned meat at butcher shops or through special purveyors. Farmed quail can be bought fresh, frozen, or boneless at most grocery stores. These farm-raised birds will taste more like chicken than gamier meat -since their feeding regime is more closely controlled than a bird that is allowed to forage for berries and insects.

How to Prepare Quail:
There are numerous ways to prepare quail, including braising, broiling, grilling and sautéing. We recommend serving the quail with warm, earthy accompaniments like farro and winter squash. If you prefer to grill, this recipe for grilled quail with red chile hot honey is guaranteed to result in moist, succulent meat with a spicy kick every time.

Quail can be roasted whole or spatchcocked and grilled for an eye-catching presentation. You can also pan roast or fry the meat for a delicious appetizer. Because of its size, so be sure to marinade it during your prep process and baste it with fat while cooking. Quail also cooks quickly, so monitor it until it reaches the internal temperature of 160°F.

What Goes Well With Quail?
Pair your quail meat with the following flavours:

• Fruit: Oranges, pomegranate, cranberries, grapes, goji berries.
• Cooking Wine and Liquor: White wine, red wine, cognac, port, sherry.
• Spices: Coriander, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, Chinese 5 spice.