As Hans tends to Mr. Cartwright’s Fig Trees, Steve tends to look to 1970’s TV for inspiration. Recipes include Grilled Quail with Fig Chipotle BBQ Sauce and an herbal Fig Jam and Rye Cocktail named for Dan’s grandfather.
Hey Buddy!
1 1/2 ounces Rye
1/2 ounce Fernet Branca
1 1/2 teaspoons Fig Jam
Fresh Sage
Lemon Twist In a sturdy glass or cocktail shaker, muddle fig jam and 4 leaves of fresh sage. Add rye, Fernet Branca, and ice and shake very well. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Express the oils of the lemon peel over the cocktail and discard lemon peel. Slap one leaf of fresh sage between palms to express oils before laying it across surface of cocktail as garnish.
Grilled Quail with Fig-Chipotle BBQ Sauce
I’ve been making this BBQ sauce for years and it works well on all sorts of foods. Of course my favorite is made with dark, sticky fig preserves, but you can substitute other fruit preserves and marmalades and come up with equally delicious variations. If you like your BBQ sauce on the sweeter side, try adding a good drizzle of sorghum or molasses. If you have fresh figs on hand, try grilling a few along side the quail.
For the Quail:
5-6 boneless quail breasts
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
For the Sauce:
1 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1-2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons fig preserves
2 tablespoons white balsamic or cider vinegar
½ cup diced Vidalia onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
First, simply marinate the quail in the oil and garlic. Quail is a very delicate, tender meat that really needs very little in the way of preparation.
To make the sauce, simply pulse all of the ingredients together in food processor. You can adjust the heat of the sauce by adding more chipotle peppers, but start with less and add more as you go. You can always add heat, but it’s hard to take it away.
Using a grill or grill pan, simply grill the quail breasts on medium heat for about 2 minutes per side. Once you’ve made the first flip, brush some of the BBQ sauce on the cooked side and then repeat when the other side is finished. Serve plenty of sauce on the side for dipping. I like to serve this dish with Vidalia OnionGrits and even a little sautéed baby bok choy.