Quail Cooked in Vine Leaves with Pesto

Name: Quail Cooked in Vine Leaves with Pesto
Yield: Serves 2-4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 100 g (3½ oz) basil leaves; 8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed; 4 oven ready quail; 8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed; 8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed; 8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed; 8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed; 60 g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated; 30 g (1 oz) pine kernels; 8 tablespoons olive oil; ¼ teaspoon salt (optional); 2 medium size cloves garlic, chopped

Preparation info

Serves
2-4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Complete Book of Herbs

By Geraldene Holt

Published 1991

About

The small delicious quail is now more commonly farmed than reared in the wild. The bird has been wrapped and roasted in vine leaves for centuries in France; however, a thin layer of pesto or a herb butter spread over the meat and under the vine leaf does wonders for the flavour.

Ingredients

8-12 vine leaves, fresh and blanched or brined and rinsed
4 oven ready

Europe
France
Main course
Gluten-free
Mediterranean

Method

Make the pesto by measuring the basil, olive oil, pine kernels, garlic and salt into a blender or food processor and whizzing until you have an even paste. Alternatively, pound the ingredients together with a pestle in a mortar. Gradually work in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Spoon the sauce into a dish (any left over from this recipe is best saved for serving with hot pasta).

Pla