This Turkish recipe features a tomato-flavored pilaf
studded with raisins and pistachios. Added at the end, the raisins
balance the tomatoes' acidity and the pistachios add crunch—a delicious
match for the savory roasted quail.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Amounts
Tomatoes, medium, peeled,
seeded,
cut into large dice
2 ea.
Butter
3 Tbsp.
Rich chicken stock
1¼ cups
Long grain rice, washed and
drained
¾ cup
Raisins, soaked in warm water
for 20 minutes and drained
¾ cup
Pistachios, chopped
¼ cup
Salt and pepper
to taste
Quail, boneless
6 ea.
Olive oil
to taste
Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.
Cook tomatoes in butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan until
the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the sauce is thick,
about 30 minutes.
3.
Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated with the tomato
paste. Add the chicken stock, return to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4.
Lower heat, cover and cook rice until the liquid is completely absorbed
(about 15 minutes). Remove the rice from heat, remove lid and place
a damp kitchen towel over the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5.
When the rice is cool add the raisins, chopped pistachios, salt and
pepper to taste and stir gently.
6.
Rinse the quail under cool water and dry with paper towels.
7.
Fill the cavity of each quail with approximately 1/6 of the pilaf
mixture.
8.
Place each bird on a buttered square of foil just large enough
to fold up and encase the bottom quarter of each bird.
9.
Brush with oil and season the outside of each bird. Place on
a baking tray and roast until brown on the exterior and 165°F
internal.
