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Codornices en hoja de parra
Codornices en hoja de parra: quail wrapped in vine leaves and bacon, roasted until juicy
When the grapes are picked in the vineyards of Olite and the Ribera in September, quail are fat from the stubble fields and the vines still have their leaves, so Navarrese cooks bring the two together. Each bird is wrapped in a vine leaf and a strip of bacon and roasted fast; the leaf keeps the lean meat moist and adds a gentle, lemony tang. This contains pork (streaky bacon). Serve with fried potatoes or bread and, in season, a bunch of grapes. Chef's tip: taste before salting, because brined vine leaves and bacon already bring plenty.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Pat the 8 oven-ready quail dry, season inside with the ½ tsp black pepper and a little of the ¼ tsp salt, and push a 4 cloves garlic clove half and a few 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves into each cavity.
8 minStep 2: Lay 2 overlapping 16 vine leaves in brine on the board, sit a quail on them breast side down and wrap the leaves up around it. Wrap a rasher of 8 rashers of streaky bacon around the middle to hold the leaves in place. A common mistake is wrapping too loosely, so the leaves dry and slip off in the oven.
10 minStep 3: Put the parcels in a roasting tin, drizzle with the 3 tbsp olive oil and roast for 18–22 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the leaves are dark and papery at the edges.
22 minStep 4: Check one bird with a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh: it must read 165°F, and the juices should run clear. Rest for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Serve two quail per person in their leaves, with 7 oz seedless grapes alongside if you like; the leaves can be eaten or unwrapped.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does codornices en hoja de parra take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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