Cooking with Matanzas Creek

Grilled quail

Grilled Quail with Plums & Hibiscus Pickled Shallots

Serve with Matanzas Creek Journey Chardonnay

Ingredients

For the pickled shallots: 

  • For the hibiscus pickled shallots: 
  • 1⁄3 cup red wine vinegar 
  • 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers 
  • 1 tablespoon sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 3 large shallots 

For the rest: 

  • 2 teaspoons ground sumac 
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger 
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1⁄4 cup rice oil or other neutral-flavored oil 
  • 6 semi-boneless quail (about 1 1⁄2 lb total) 
  • 4 small plums (1⁄2 lb total), halved and pitted 
  • 6 oz baby kale 
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2 oz Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese or other mild, creamy cow’s milk blue cheese, crumbled 
  • 4 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar 

Preparation

To pickle the shallots: 

To make the pickling liquid, in a small pot, combine the red wine vinegar, hibiscus, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the shallots into 1/4-inch-thick circles, separate into rings, and put into a small bowl. Strain the pickling liquid through a fine-mesh sieve held over the shallots. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

To grill the quail and the plums: 

  1. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over high heat. Brush the grill grate clean. 
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the sumac, salt, ginger, pepper, and rice oil. Coat the quail with this mixture. Toss the plums with 2 teaspoons salt. Place a plum half in the cavity of each quail, with the skin side of the plum touching the breast side of the quail. 
  3. Place the quail, breast side down, on the hottest part of the grill. Place the remaining plum halves, flesh side down, on the grill at the same time. Cook the quail and plums for 2 minutes. 
  4. Meanwhile, on a serving platter toss the kale with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, coating evenly. Let sit while the quail are cooking. 
  5. Flip the quail and plums and cook for 2 minutes longer, then flip the quail back to the breast side for 1 more minute. Remove both the quail and plums from the grill and arrange them directly on top of the kale. Let rest for 2 minutes. 

To serve: 

Garnish the platter with the pickled shallots and blue cheese and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.