Grilled Stuffed Quail With Kicked-up Lentil Salade Au Lardon
Ingredients
- 8 boneless quail, about 4 ounces each
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- 4 ounces Prosciutto, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon Emeril's Original Essence
- Kicked Up Salade au Lardon
- Fried leeks, for garnish
- KICKED UP LENTIL SALADE AU LARDON:
- 8 ounces French green lentils
- 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 7 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups frisee lettuce
- 3 cups arugula
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Directions
Place the quail in a baking dish and toss with the oil and lemon juice. Preheat a grill.
Combine the goat cheese, prosciutto and thyme in a bowl, and mix well.
Stuff each quail with some of the cheese mixture and season on both sides with Essence. Grill until evenly brown, but still tender and slightly pink inside, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.
KICKED UP LENTIL SALADE AU LARDON: In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Cover with water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until just tender yet still firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and discard the garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Place the lentils in a large bowl and set aside.
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.
Transfer the bacon to paper towels using a slotted spoon, leaving 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Add the carrots, celery, shallots and garlic, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the lentils. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 4 teaspoons of the vinegar, tomatoes, parsley, Essence, salt and pepper, and toss to mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the frisee, arugula and bacon. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Toss the dressing with the greens and divide among 4 plates. Top with the lentil salad and the goat cheese. Place two quail on top of each plate and serve.
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