Mama’S Quail In Red Wine Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 (4 -6 ounce) quail
coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
8 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more
fresh thyme, for garnish
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0; tie the legs of the quail together with kitchen twine.
Season quail with salt and pepper.
Place the flour in a shallow dish and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Coat the quail in the flour, shaking off the excess.
To cook: heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat.
Add the quail without crowding and sear on both sides until the birds are a dark, golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Sprinkle thyme sprigs over the birds and transfer the skillet to the oven.
Continue cooking until the quail are cooked through but still pink, an additional 8-10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the quail to a warm platter; cover loosely with foil to keep them warm.
Make the sauce: pour off the excess oil; place the skillet on top or the stove over high heat.
Add in the red wine and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.
Decrease heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is well reduced, 8-10 minutes.
Add in the stock and continue to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Whisk in the butter.
Return the quail to the sauce and spoon the sauce over to coat; serve immediately.