Theme Recipe: Potted Quail

Potted Quail a la Weena

I've really gotten behind on the theme recipes here lately!  I've been really busy trying to get ready for the maelstrom that is the coming Presidential election!  I manage a precinct with close to 8,000 voters....really I'm trying at this point not to think about it!  This is for Weena the cat who is a fiend (!) for cold cuts and potted meats of any kind!!  She goes completely nuts for this sort of thing.  Don't have quail?  Use game hens or chicken meat  This comes from a cool little cookbook that has been around for years The Catlover's Cookbook by Jane Morin Snowday.

4 quail

4 tbsp. butter

4 tiny onions

1 tbsp. flour

1 cup water

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 additional tbsp. butter
Extra butter for actual potting (optional)

1.  Melt the butter in large deep sided pan on low heat.  Add the garlic, whole, cook slow and don't burn it!

2.  Season the birds with salt and pepper, add to pan and cook to seal the skin all around.  Remove to plate, and discard the garlic.  Stir int he flour and whisk well until it cooks a bit in the fat and is no longer dry.  When this is done, add the water and whisk well to combine and continue to stir until the gravy is thickened.

3.  Return the birds to the gravy, cover and simmer until tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour), adding more water if necessary (keep a close eye on this, burnt gravy will ruin it!).  Add the tiny onions and cook about 10 minutes more.  

4.  Melt the butter and saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stir in the parsley.  To serve right away, plate each bird to one diner, top with mushroom, serve with wild rice and some gravy.

5.  To actually pot them (my instructions), place each bird inside a little jar, top with some gravy, then top with some mushrooms, press down.  Pour just melted butter over each, seal and keep refrigerated.