Quail Jambalaya
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Twelve 4-ounce quail, cleaned, dressed, and split lengthwise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
- 2 medium yellow onions, moderately finely chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and moderately finely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and moderately finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups boiling chicken broth
- 1½ cups converted rice
- 2 large whole bay leaves
- 1 pound fully cooked chorizo or Spanish-style sausage, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup canned plum tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
Instructions:
You can substitute three halved Cornish hens for the quail, but they must be small—no more than a pound and a half apiece.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a large, shallow roasting pan (preferably one attractive enough to appear at the dining table) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, add half the quail, and brown 2 minutes on each side; transfer to the roasting pan. Brown the remaining quail in the remaining oil the same way and add to the pan. Sprinkle the birds with the salt and cayenne pepper and roast uncovered on the middle oven shelf for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onions, red and green bell peppers, and garlic in the skillet drippings, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until limp. Add 1 cup of the hot broth and cook 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits on the skillet bottom.
- Remove the birds from the oven, transfer to a large tray, and set aside. Pour the skillet mixture into the roasting pan, add the rice and remaining hot broth, and tuck in the bay leaves.
- Cover snugly with foil, slide onto the middle oven rack, and bake for 15 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Remove the foil cover, discard the bay leaves, and stir well.
- Fold the chorizo and tomatoes into the rice mixture, then arrange the quail on top, skin sides up. Cover with the foil and bake for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the quail are done.
- Serve at table right from the roasting pan. Or, if you prefer, divide the jambalaya among six heated dinner plates.