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Mesquite Quail

Recipe by Chef Nico Rossi

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Quail, street-corn elote, cotija, Fresno chile, lime crema, ancho-honey glaze

  • Yield6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Quail

  • 6 Semi-boneless quail
  • 3 Mesquite wood chunks

Ancho-Honey Glaze

  • 2 Ancho chiles, dried
  • 6 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar

Corn and Lime Cream

  • 4 ears Sweet corn
  • 4 oz Cotija cheese
  • 6 oz Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 3 oz Mayonnaise
  • 3 Limes
  • 2 tbsp Chili powder / Tajin

Garnish and Seasoning

  • 2 Fresno chiles
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • Garlic, salt, olive oil (as needed)

Instructions

Ancho-Honey Glaze

  1. Ancho-honey glaze. Toast the dried anchos in a dry pan 30 sec until fragrant — do not scorch, burnt chile is bitter. Steep in hot water 15 min, then blend with honey, cider vinegar, a clove of garlic, and salt to a loose glaze. Strain. Holds 1 week.

Lime Cream and Corn

  1. Lime crema. Whisk crema, mayo, lime juice and zest, and a pinch of salt. Loose enough to drizzle. Refrigerate. hold ≤ 40°F.
  2. Elote base. Char the corn over the coals until blackened in spots, 6–8 min. Cut the kernels. Toss warm with a spoonful of crema, crumbled cotija, lime, chili powder, and chopped cilantro. This is served as the bed — keep it loose and spoonable.

Grill Quail

  1. Quail. Spatchcock or leave semi-boneless. Rub with olive oil, salt, and a little chili powder. Salt at the grill, not before — quail is small and salts through fast.
  2. Grill over charcoal, a gas grill, or a grill pan; mesquite smoke is optional. Use medium-high heat and avoid direct flames. Grill hot, 3–4 min per side, glazing with ancho-honey in the last minute. Watch for flare — the honey burns.
  3. Cook quail to 165°F internal at the thickest part of the thigh. Verify with a probe; small birds cook unevenly.

Serve

  1. Plate. Spoon warm elote off-center. Set the glazed quail against it. Drizzle lime crema, scatter thin-sliced Fresno, cotija, cilantro, and a dust of Tajin. Lime wedge on the plate.

Notes

Suggested wine pairing: Napa Valley rosé: Etude or Frog’s Leap “La Grenouille Rougante” — serve at 48°F.

ALLERGENS: DAIRY (cotija, crema) · the crema contains egg if using mayo-based

HEAT LEVEL: Medium-hot — serve the sliced chiles on the side for a milder dish. Fresno is milder than jalapeño; build down further by serving the sliced chile on the side.

At home: refrigerate perishable ingredients and prepared food at 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the outdoor temperature is above 90°F. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. Raw fish dishes should be made just before serving and not saved for later.

  • Category: Main Dishes

Find it online: https://land2shore.com/grilled-quail-with-street-corn-and-ancho-honey-glaze/