Quail in Pomegranate Sauce

By altschiller

Ingredients

• 8 quail, rinsed
• 2 tbsp. lard or butter
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• Leaves from 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• Seeds of 5 pomegranates, about 4 cups (see
• A Pomegranate Primer)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Pat quail dry with paper towels and tie legs together with kitchen string. Sauté in lard or butter and 2 tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned all over. Remove quail and set aside. Pour off fat.

2. In the same skillet, cook onions in remaining 1 tbsp. oil over low heat until soft, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and parsley; cook 3 minutes longer. Raise heat to medium-high, deglaze skillet with stock, and add all but a handful of pomegranate seeds. Reduce heat to low, return quail to skillet, cover, and cook till tender, about 15 minutes. Set quail aside; cover to keep warm.

3. Strain sauce, return to skillet, and reduce for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat, to about 1 cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return quail to skillet, swirling them in sauce to heat them, 1–2 minutes. Serve garnished with remaining pomegranate seeds.