Oven-roasted quail is one of our favourite ways to prepare quail. It is simple, quick, and exceptionally delicious.
Use as many deboned quails as required. Season them generously all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a sage leaf, some coarsely chopped rosemary, and a few thin slices of pancetta inside the cavity of each quail. Secure the birds by stitching the sides together with skewers or tying them neatly with kitchen string.
Arrange the quails in a well-oiled roasting pan and place them in a hot oven. Start by browning them on both sides under a high grill setting. Once nicely coloured, reduce the oven temperature to 140 °C and allow the meat to cook gently and evenly.
The entire cooking process should take 5–6 minutes. If in doubt, check the internal temperature: when it reaches 80 °C, the quail is perfectly cooked.
To finish, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and a little more ground black pepper. Drizzle generously with high-quality extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately on creamy polenta.
Enjoy — and remember to finish it off with a glass of good homemade red wine.
Every so often the freezer fills up with mature, processed quails, and the best solution is to turn them into something truly special : a slow-cooked ragù. On this occasion, I pulled 40 frozen quails from the freezer and spent most of Sunday afternoon transforming them into a rich, deeply flavoured sauce that can be enjoyed for months to come.
This is a labour of love, but one that rewards you generously. This is not just a sauce – it’s a celebration of North Italian tradition, where time, patience, and respect for every ingredient create something unforgettable. Cooked slowly, bottled carefully, and served with fresh pasta, it brings the warmth of our kitchen straight to your table.
Ingredients
40 deboned quails
2 kg finely chopped onions (50% brown, 50% red)
250 g extra virgin olive oil
250 g butter
200 g finely chopped celery
200 g finely chopped carrot
50 g salt (adjust to taste)
50 g freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
250 ml full-cream milk
500 ml white wine
500 ml stock (quail stock preferred)
500 g tomato purée
1 kg tinned tomato passata
100 g finely chopped garlic
50 g finely chopped fresh hot chilli (optional)
5 g freshly grated nutmeg
A handful of hand-shredded fresh basil
2 Cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Method
In a very large, heavy-based pot (large enough to hold all the ingredients), add the olive oil, butter, and chopped onions. Sauté gently over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, but not browned.
Add the celery and carrot and cook gently for a further 5 minutes.
Add the quail meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a few minutes to deepen the flavour.
Pour in the white wine and cook until it has completely evaporated. Add a portion of the stock and stir frequently.
Reduce the heat to medium, then add the garlic, chilli (if using), milk, and nutmeg. Cook until the milk has fully evaporated, stirring regularly.
Stir in all the tomato passata. Once the ragù begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 4–5 hours. Stir often and do not let it burn. As the ragù thickens, add more stock, as needed to maintain a rich, slow-simmering consistency.
Once cooked, bottle the ragù, seal, and pasteurise.
Storage & Yield
The great advantage of this method is longevity : the bottled ragù can be stored in the pantry for a very long time and provides an exceptional, ready-to-use meal at any time.
This batch yielded approximately 50–60 meal portions. For a family-sized version, simply divide all quantities by ten.
If quail is not available, a combination of beef and pork makes an excellent alternative.
Pasta al Ragù di Quaglia
While the pasta cooks in ample salted water – fresh pappardelle is my preference – open a bottle of ragù and transfer it to a pan large enough to accommodate both the pasta and sauce.
Gently heat the ragù. Drain the pasta while it is just shy of al dente and add it directly to the pan. Toss the pasta and ragù together over low heat until fully cooked, stirring and lifting constantly (Mantecare).
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little stock, or some of the salted boiling pasta water. Finish with fresh basil, give it one final toss, and serve immediately topped with ample grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.
Pasta al Ragù di Quaglia should be served piping hot – and enjoyed without haste.
Do not forget the bottle of home made red wine to finish it all !
Clean and dice a handful of the cardoon and boil in salted water for about 5 minutes. Dice a handful of Pancetta and fry in a pan large enough for all the ingredients. Ad the Cardoon to the pan and fry with the Pancetta for about 5 minutes. Ad pepper to taste (salt is already in the Pancetta)
Crack about 30 Quail Eggs and ad a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, two tablespoons of water and ground Black Pepper. Beat the eggs slightly with a fork and ad to the Pancetta and Cardoon. Fry slowly until almost set. Now place the pan in the oven with the grill turned to high.
Cut the tips of the Asparagus and fry in another pan with butter and Black Pepper for about 2 -3 minutes.
When the Frittata has set in the oven, decorate with the fried Asparagus and return to the oven until brown. Remove and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Pepper and fresh Basil leaves
Eat with toasted Wholemeal Organic Bread and wash it down with a good wine – Today I tried my Honey Wine, which I make to be dry and it was all GOOD!!
Mr BYF regularly has to cull young male quail. They are tender and very tasty without adding any flavouring to the meat. Mrs BYF tried something new and it is good enough to share.
4 Very young (seven weeks old) fresh cleaned and deboned quails. Salted a few hours before cooking
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Cloves of crushed garlic
4 Large fresh sage leaves
4 Strips of pancetta (bacon can do)
Pepper
Extra salt if needed as the pancetta is slightly salty
Stuff a sage leaf and a strip of pancetta into the body cavity and close with a toothpick. Add pepper to taste. Use a pan that fits all the stuffed birds all in one layer, melt the butter and fry the garlic until light brown. Add the quails to the pan and fry for about 5 min per side until golden brown.
We served the dish with fresh salad from the garden and roasted new potatoes from our neighbour’s garden. For vegetables we had a friend of a friend’s pumpkin, roasted with garlic, cumin and chilli.
ENJOY and do not forget a glass of home made red wine !!!
Back Yard Farmer 