Entrees

The quail that Anthony Bourdain ate

Name: Barbecued quail recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 150ml grape molasses (from specialty grocers); 300ml verjuice; 6 jumbo quails (about 300g each), butterflied by your butcher); 1/2 tsp each ground ginger and freshly ground black pepper; 20.00 ml onion juice (see notes); 1g saffron; 1/2 tsp sugar; 200ml boiling water

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The quail that Anthony Bourdain ate — This is an edited extract from Meatsmith by Andrew McConnell and Troy Wheeler, published by Hardie Grant Books, AUD$60.00, available November 1, 2023. Photography by Mark Roper.

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by Joseph Abboud

CHEF

Jan 10, 2024

“One of the most memorable moments in our history is when Matt Preston brought in Anthony Bourdain to film No Reservations. We were asked to feed Anthony whatever we liked, and this was one of the dishes he ate. The highest form of compliment came when he ordered another plate of this – ‘more birdy’. He loved it! It’s a combination inspired by Iranian flavours: saffron and onion in the marinade and the Iranian verjuice dressing. I recommend lighting a charcoal barbecue for this one, but you can cook it over a gas barbecue, too.” Joseph Abboud. Begin this recipe at least 5 hours ahead.

150ml grape molasses (from specialty grocers)
300ml verjuice
6 jumbo quails (about 300g each), butterflied by your butcher)
1/2 tsp each ground ginger and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs onion juice (see notes)

Saffron water (see notes)

1g saffron
1/2 tsp sugar
200ml boiling water

Method

1.

For the saffron water, lightly toast the saffron in a dry frypan over a medium heat until fragrant. Do not allow it to darken in colour. You want to just warm the saffron gently to dry it a little further.
2.

Remove from the pan and, using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the saffron with the sugar to a fine powder and tip into a glass jar. Tip the boiling water into the jar over the saffron. Seal with a lid and, once cooled, store in the fridge for future use. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.
3.

Make the dressing by adding the grape molasses and verjuice to a bottle or jar, seal and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds. Set aside.
4.

The quails can be separated into legs and breasts (see notes), or kept in one piece. Place in a bowl with the spices, 1 tsp saffron water and onion juice and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours for the best results. Season the skin side with salt flakes just before cooking.
5.

To cook, heat a charcoal barbecue grill to medium-high and cook separated quail pieces, skin-side down, for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for another 3 minutes. Cook whole quails, skin-side down, for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes. The breast can be a little pink, but the legs should be well cooked.
6.

Take off grill, place on a serving plate, skin-side up, and drizzle with dressing.

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Recipe Notes

If you’re separating the quails into legs and breasts, you may like to skewer them into quail ‘kebabs’ after marinating. To make the onion juice, blend two peeled onions in a food processor, then pass the onion pulp through a piece of muslin cloth.

Turning your saffron threads into a water that is potent and ready to use will change your life! Well, maybe not your life, but it will definitely change how and when you use saffron. This method of toasting then grinding into a genuine saffron powder also extends the yield you get from a very expensive ingredient. It lasts weeks, if not months, in the fridge and is great to have on hand.