A Provencal Meal with Quail and Rice
David Scott Allen · Main Course · Poultry · Provencal Recipes · TasteTraditional Provencal food is anything but fancy. Sure the Côte d’Azur has always had a particular cache and of course Aix-en-Provence borders on regal, but the countryside where the grapes, olives and everything else grows is where the real Provençaux live trying to earn a living from their farms. In this Cocoa & Lavender recipe, David explores a dish that is similar to a paella with rice and quail.
Cailles aux riz Provençal
According to Cocoa & Lavender: Overall, this dish is similar to a paella: a rice dish with bits of meat and vegetables added to give flavour, texture, as visual interest. The little bit is sauce on top could be increased but it seemed just right as is.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 large onion halved and sliced
- 3 small carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 3 stalks celery cut into matchsticks
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- 1/4 tsp lavender buds crushed
- large pinch salt
- 3 bay leaves fresh (or 1 dried)
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth simmering
- 8 quail semi-boneless, washed and patted dry
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium-low heat.
- Slowly cook the onion, carrot, and celery for 10 minutes, until soft but not brown.
- Turn the heat to medium-high.
- Add the rice, herbes de Provence, lavender, salt, and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, when rice has turned white and chalky looking.
- Add the simmering broth, and cover, reducing the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet and brown the quail on both side, starting with the breast side - about 3 minutes per side.
- Set aside pan with drippings.
- Open the pan with the rice and add the quail, feet facing inward and breast side up.
- Re-cover and continue to simmer for the remainder of the 30 minutes.
- Just before serving, heat the skillet with the quail drippings and deglaze the pan with the white wine.
- When reduced by half, add the tomatoes and simmer till reduced a bit.
- Keep warm until it is time to serve.
- Drizzle the sauce over the quail and rice.
- Bring pan with the quail to the table, remove the cover, and serve.
Notes
An equally delicious, but cost effective alternative to quail would be chicken thighs.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
The Grape Harvest in ProvenceNext Post
Biking Gorges de la NesqueRelated Provence Articles
Good Food and Cozy Dining in St-Rémy at Le Marilyn
June 16, 2025
My wife and I live part of the year in St-Rémy-de-Provence, and one of our favourite restaurants for cozy dining is Le Marilyn. We always receive a warm welcome, the food is consistently good, and the dining room is one of the most charming around. Owner Chantal Büchner has been ...
Antibes: A Timeless Treasure on the Côte d’Azur
June 5, 2025
Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea’s azure waters and Provence’s rolling hills lies Antibes, a gem of the French Riviera that enchants visitors with its irresistible blend of history, art, and culinary traditions. A Journey Through the Centuries As you wander through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the old town, you ...
My Chicken Ispahan Recipe – Inspired by Pierre Hermé’s French Pastry
May 26, 2025
It may seem strange, but I am not a café au lait fan. However, a hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) in Paris with a beautiful pastry called an Ispahan – now that is a magical French experience. Pierre Hermé created the dessert for Ladurée, the finest purveyor of macarons in Paris ...
Maussane-les-Alpilles: A Friendly Hotel-Restaurant with Excellent Food
May 23, 2025
“We love our clients and treat them like honoured guests.” These are the words of Marielle Fabregoul of l’Oustaloun, a charming hotel-restaurant in Maussane-les-Alpilles. She and her husband Thierry share a passion for customer service, which shows. A Local Institution L’Oustaloun has long been an institution in Maussane. It began ...
No Comment