Oyster-Stuffed Quail

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
This is a gold medal dish of Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant. It was served at the opening dinner of Lafitte’s Landing East in Moscow on May 15, 1988.

Ingredients:
12 quail, boned
2 pints select oysters
½ cup minced onions
½ cup minced celery
1 tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup minced red bell peppers
¼ cup béchamel sauce (see recipe)
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
½ cup melted butter
½ cup dry red wine
2 cups demi-glace (see recipe)
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Method:
Have a butcher remove bones from 12 quail breasts. Bones may remain in legs and wings. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coarsely chop oysters. In a large mixing bowl, blend together onions, celery, garlic, bell peppers and béchamel sauce. Slowly stir in bread crumbs until stuffing is moist but held together. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each quail with an equal amount of oyster stuffing then secure legs with a toothpick. Place birds in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet or baking dish. Drizzle quail with melted butter then season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove quail and set aside. Deglaze baking dish with wine. Add demi-glace and cream. Bring to a low boil then reduce to simmer and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Place 2 quail in center of a serving plate, remove toothpicks from legs and top with a generous serving of sauce.