There are few outdoor experiences quite like quail hunting. Quail hunting season opens in early winter and goes through February in Georgia. Thanks to the amazing work by such organizations like Quail Unlimited, you can find all sorts of places to hunt birds. Like most outdoor sporting activities, the real fun for me is in observing the pageantry that takes place in nature. I’m getting a little too poetic here. Bottom line, if you have never watched a good group of bird dogs work, put that on your bucket list. I’ve been on some pretty amazing hunts in my day. In addition, you will be hard pressed to find a greater adrenaline rush than the one that comes when you jump a covey of wild quail. You have about 1 second to aim and fire if you’re lucky.
4 quail
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup (125 g) assorted mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, porcini, etc.), chopped
1 small shallot, minced
½ cup (75 g) cauliflower, grated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons (30 ml) pecans, chopped
~ salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon (5 ml) smoked paprika or Creole seasoning
1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock or white wine
2 teaspoons (10 ml) Dijon mustard
- Debone the quail.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- To make the stuffing, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, then the mushrooms and shallots, stirring often until mushrooms are softened.
- Stir in the cauliflower, thyme, pecans and salt and pepper. Cook until cauliflower is slightly softened.
- With the quail skin side down, place some of the stuffing mixture on the meat, folding the quail around the stuffing.
- Place in a small baking dish breast side up. Repeat with remaining quail, and sprinkle the paprika over each bird.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and finish for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through (being careful not to overcook quail).
- Remove quail from pan. While pan is still hot, add in chicken stock (or wine), stirring to dig up any of the browned bits in the pan. Pour this into a small sauce pan set over medium-low heat. Whisk mustard into liquid mixture until well combined. Serve quail with sauce poured over.
Tips & Tricks—While you can certainly leave all the quail bones intact, I find that it presents a little bit nicer and is a ton easier to eat if the rib cage, wish bone and breast cartilage are removed.
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Mushroom stuffed quail with Dijon sauce is the kind of dinner that feels like an occasion but comes together in under an hour. Small birds are filled with a savoury mix of mushrooms, cauliflower, thyme, and pecans, roasted until golden, then napped with a quick mustard pan sauce.
Pro Tips
- Deboning the quail is worth the effort: it makes stuffing and eating far easier, and the birds fold neatly around the mushroom filling like little parcels.
- Cook the mushroom and shallot mixture until the moisture has clearly cooked off — wet stuffing makes the quail steam from the inside instead of roasting.
- The high-then-low oven is deliberate: 5 minutes at 400°F (205°C) sets the colour, then 350°F (175°C) finishes the delicate meat gently. Quail overcooks in a blink.
- Make the sauce straight from the roasting pan while it's still hot, scraping up every browned bit; that fond is the flavour base of the Dijon sauce.
- Grated cauliflower and chopped pecans give the stuffing body without breadcrumbs; the pecans should be roughly chopped so they keep their texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many quail per person?
Plan on one or two birds per person depending on the appetite — with the mushroom stuffing and sauce, two quail make a generous main course for a hungry diner.
Can I prepare the stuffed quail ahead of time?
Yes, debone and stuff the birds a few hours ahead and refrigerate them, then bring to room temperature before roasting. The mushroom filling itself can be made a day ahead.
What can I use instead of quail?
Cornish game hens are the closest substitute; split them, stuff, and extend the roasting time to cook the larger birds through. The Dijon pan sauce works identically.
Is the Dijon sauce paleo?
It is — the sauce is just pan juices, chicken stock or white wine, and Dijon mustard. Check your mustard label for additives, and use stock if you'd rather skip the wine.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Stir in the cauliflower, thyme, pecans and salt and pepper.
- Cook until cauliflower is slightly softened.
- Place in a small baking dish breast side up.
- Repeat with remaining quail, and sprinkle the paprika over each bird.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and finish for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through (being careful not to overcook quail).
- Remove quail from pan.
- While pan is still hot, add in chicken stock (or wine), stirring to dig up any of the browned bits in the pan.
- Pour this into a small sauce pan set over medium-low heat.
- Whisk mustard into liquid mixture until well combined.
- Serve quail with sauce poured over.
