Good news has been thin on the ground in the restaurant industry, but the recent announcement of the latest Michelin stars for 2021 gave a number of eateries around the country something to celebrate.
Amongst those was Quilon, the south-west Indian restaurant at the Taj hotel at 51 Buckingham Gate. The Quilon's head chef, Sriram Aylur, has been in charge of the menu here since it opened in 1999; the restaurant won a Michelin star in 2008, and has now retained it for the fourteenth consecutive year.
The most popular dishes on Quilon's menu include delicacies such as Mangalorean chicken and Masala Dosa; here, the team shares a recipe for quail's legs.
Recipe: Quilon's stuffed quail's legs
Ingredients
For the quail
- Four quail (deboned and skinned reserve the bone and discarded skin)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1-inch piece of ginger
- One curry leaf sprig
- ¼ tbsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp chaat masala
- Pinch of Aamchoor powder
- 1/4 tsp fennel powder
- Salt to taste
- 50g fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp oil
For the sauce
- 500ml quail Stock
- 15ml oil
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 curry leaf sprig
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
- 50g fresh coriander stem
- Salt to taste
Method
To prepare the quail
Roughly mince the quail meat in a mixer and keep aside.
Clean the wing and leg bone, cut the joints into two, you should be able to get eight bones all together. Roast for few minutes and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté onion until brown. Add ginger, curry leaves, turmeric chaat masala, amchoor powder, fennel powder, salt and fresh coriander and cook for one minute.
Add this mixture to the quail meat and mix thoroughly together, adjust the seasoning.
Now divide the mixture into eight equal portions and reconstruct them into a quail leg. Skewer each leg with piece of bone so that it holds the shape.
To make the sauce
Heat the oil in a pan and add fennel, onion, ginger and curry leaves, then stir and add turmeric, chilli and tomato.
Cook until tomatoes are soft and add the coriander stem, along with the stock.
Adjust the seasoning. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and blitz in hand blender, then pass through a strainer.
To put it all together
Heat little oil in a pan or griddle and sear the quail. Place on a roasting tray and roast for 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the sauce in a pan, then serve all together.
Scotch Quails Eggs
Scotch quails eggs, perfect for a wintry snack on a chilly day.
Credit: Saint Agur
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