Savory Mushroom stuffed Quail served with a nutty, sweet, and sour walnut sauce. Creamy, earthy, with a hint of game flavor, this is a very elegant dish that's really easy if you use partially deboned quail.   Pair this Seduction Meal with a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Poulsard/Ploussard from Jura. Enjoy!

Mushroom Stuffed Quail
Makes 2-4 appetizer or 1-2 light entree servings
Recipe Courtesy of MarxFoods

Ingredients

• 4 Semi-Boneless Quail
• 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 cup Walnuts
• 1/4 cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Aged Balsamic Vinegar to finish
• Wooden Skewers
• Plus: 4 tbsp Mushroom Duxelles, chilled (we recommend using porcini mushrooms)

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven until slightly darker, crispy, and aromatic. Remove the walnuts, let them cool and turn your oven temperature up to 350 degrees.
4. Sweat the shallot in a pan with a little oil until translucent, deglaze with the balsamic and briefly simmer to reduce to a syrup consistency. Then, blend the balsamic/shallot mixture, walnuts, chicken stock, and olive oil together until smooth.
5. Fill the central cavity of each quail with 1 tbsp of the duxelles and stitch closed with a wooden skewer.

6. Get a thin layer of oil hot in a cast iron skillet on medium and lay the quail in on their backs, until they develop a well seared crust.  Then turn them and continue to sear as much of their surface as you can.

7. When the quail have been completely seared, move them (in the skillet) to the oven to roast for about 20 minutes.
 
Plating the Dish
Once the quail has finished cooking, spread a smear of the walnut sauce on a plate, and put the quail down on top of it.  Finish the plate with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. Serve with your favorite side dish and a great bottle of wine.