Quail in a Rosé Sauce - Cailles aux Roses
Inspired by Paris, the "City of Love," and the famous song "La Vie en Rose," I created this Quail in a Rose Sauce recipe.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4 quail bone-in, patted dry and trussed (see note)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 1/2 tsp rose powder divided
- 1/4 cup white wine or rosé wine
- 1 cup poultry stock (not broth)
- 1 tsp sugar
For Garnish:
- rosebuds dried or fresh if you have them
- rose petal powder dried or fresh if you have them
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Oil oven-proof skillet and add trussed quail, breast side up and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast the quail for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the honey and 1/2 teaspoon of rose powder to the melted butter; mix well and keep warm.
- After 10 minutes, brush the quail with the melted honey-rose butter and return it to the oven for 6-8 minutes.
- When golden brown, remove the quail from the pan and set aside on a plate, covered, to rest. They will finish cooking as they rest.
- Heat the skillet to medium-high. The handle will be very hot (I always repeat my mantra: metal conducts heat!) Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits remaining from the quail.
- When almost evaporated, add the sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons rose powder, and poultry stock and cook until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon some sauce onto a plate and top with a quail; snip the strings used for trussing. Garnish with rose buds and petals.
Notes
If you cannot find quail, use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (honestly, they are a bit easier to eat). Season the thighs and set the oven to 475°F. Roast for 35 minutes, covering with foil if they get too brown. Brush with the honey-rose butter and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 7-10 minutes.
For Cornish game hens, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the game hens in a roasting pan, rub with olive oil, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 50 minutes, then baste with the honey-rose-butter and continue roasting for another 10 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!