HobNob’s Icewine Glazed Quail
Icewine Glazed Quail
Indulge in the exquisite flavors of Ontario’s winter season with a delectable Icewine-glazed Quail. A perfect combination of taste and elegance.
The best way to cook quail is fast in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side because quail is so small and lean and will dry out easily. For a delicious alternative to quail, use cornish hens. Fun fact, Ontario is the only grape-growing region in the world that consistently gets cold enough to produce Icewine.
Recipe compliments of Executive Chef Seth Labonte from HobNob Restaurant at The Charles Hotel.
Ingredients
Serves 2 people
Ingredients:
2 jumbo sized Quail
1 cup Icewine
1 Shallot, diced small
1 cup Risotto
½ bunch Parsley, chopped
¼ cup Heavy cream
1 lb Butter
Salt and white pepper
6 Baby carrots
4 cup Chicken stock
Method
- Preheat a pan, once hot add grapeseed oil.
- On a separate plate, season the quail with salt and white pepper.
- Place on the hot pan and sear on both sides and set aside.
- In a medium sized sauce pot, sweat your shallots with a teaspoon of butter until translucent, do not let them get brown in color.
- Once shallots are cooked, add risotto and toast until warm to the touch.
- Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and cook to desired tenderness. I usually cook until there is no crunch left in the rice but not over cooked.
- In a small sauce pan, add the Icewine and reduce slowly to a glaze.
- Once the glaze has a syrup like consistency, remove from the heat.
- Blanch baby carrots in boiling salted water and cook to desired tenderness, and shock (stop cooking) in ice cold water.
- To bring it all together start with the risotto. In a pan add your heavy cream and a teaspoon of butter, once melted and simmering, add the risotto and parsley.
- You want the risotto to be the consistency of porridge not too sticky not too loose either.
- Heat up the ice wine glaze from before but do not bring to a boil. Brush the quail with the ice wine glaze and pop into the oven until cooked to your liking. I recommend medium as this bird will get chewy if over cooked.
- Once out of the oven, it does not hurt to brush the quail with more glaze.
- In a small sauce pan, heat up carrots in a teaspoon of butter and season with salt and pepper.
- To plate, start with the risotto in the middle, baby carrots around and the beautiful quail on top.