Quail Dolma - Chef Recipe by Suleyman Kirbancioglu.

Ingredients

Rice filling:

1 medium brown onion, finely diced
1 cup short grain rice
1 Tbs currants
1 Tbs pine nuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp pimento
1 tsp salt
Pinch white sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
2 cups hot chicken stock

Chive oil:

1 bunch chives
100mL olive oil

Whey sauce:

150mL yoghurt whey (liquid from strained yoghurt)
150mL thickened cream
1 small brown onion, chopped
1/4 cup diced leek, white part
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs thyme
1 Tbs unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Dukkah:

100g raw pistachios, shelled
100g sesame seeds
1 Tbs whole coriander seeds
1 Tbs whole cumin seeds
1 Tbs whole black peppercorns
1 tsp salt

Fried leek:

1 cup julienned leek
Vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup plain flour

Other ingredients:

4 quail, deboned with leg and wing bones intact
1-2 bunches fioretto cauli blossom
2 Tbs mulberry molasses (found at Middle Eastern grocers)
2 Tbs toasted pine nuts
Additional olive oil
Additional salt

Method

Rice filling:

Add olive oil to saucepan, add pine nuts and stir over medium heat until coloured.

Add onions, sauté until soft. Add rice, fry over low heat for 5 minutes.

Add all the currants, spices, sugar and salt, stir for one minute. Add hot stock. Cover with a lid and gently simmer until all liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, add parsley. Set aside until needed.

Quail dolma:

Preheat oven 180 C.

Lay each quail flat, skin side down. Fill with the rice filling mixture and enclose the quail, tying the leg bones together ensuring the mixture is firmly enclosed in the quail.

Place on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

When removed from the oven, rest the quail for 10 minutes then brush each quail with mulberry molasses and sprinkle with about half a tablespoon of dukkah.

Whey sauce:

Sauté garlic, onion and leek in butter until soft. Add whey, cream and thyme. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Blend in food processor. Strain through a fine sieve. Add salt to taste and put aside until needed.

Chive oil:

Combine chives and olive oil in food processor. Blend, then strain through a fine muslin cloth.

Discard chives in cloth and store strained oil in fridge until needed.

Dukkah:

Combine all ingredients and gently toast in a fry pan over medium heat until aromas are released and cumin seeds start to pop.

Cool. Use food processor to blend into a coarse spice mix. Store in an airtight container until needed.

Fried leek:

Dust leek in flour, remove excess. Fry leek in hot vegetable oil until crispy. Remove from oil, strain on paper towel. Put aside until needed.

Fioretto cauli blossom:

While the quail is cooking, coat the fioretto in olive oil and salt and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

To assemble:

On the plate, spread a few tablespoons of warm whey sauce, then drizzle with chive oil.

Place the fried leek on one side of the plate and place a whole quail on the leek.

Arrange the fioretto on the other side of the plate and garnish with the toasted pine nuts.