Roasted Quail with Shaved Kohlrabi and Grape Salad
Small whole quail rubbed with garlic and rosemary and roasted hot, served over shaved raw kohlrabi, halved grapes, and mint, dressed with lemon and the hot pan juices.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
After a week of the same three containers, this is the one I actually look forward to. Quail are little birds, about four ounces each, and two of them make a serving. You will find them frozen in packs of four at Chinese, Vietnamese, and Latin markets, at a good butcher counter, or online, and they are cheaper than you would guess for something this uncommon. Semi-boneless is worth buying if you see it. The whole thing takes about forty minutes on a Sunday, and I eat one plate warm and carry the rest cold on Tuesday.
Quail is a fast bird, and that cuts both ways. A hot oven at 450°F (230°C) browns the skin and cooks the meat through in fourteen to sixteen minutes, but five minutes past that and the breast goes chalky, so this is a dish that wants a timer rather than a guess. Dry skin is the other half of it. Pat the birds hard with paper towels before the oil, garlic, and rosemary go on, because a damp bird steams rather than browns. Meanwhile the kohlrabi gets shaved thin and tossed with lemon and salt, which softens it just enough while the oven does its work.
The best part is what happens when the two halves of the plate meet. You tip the hot fat and juices from the roasting pan straight into the lemon and oil and pour it over the cold salad, and the kohlrabi wilts a little at the edges while staying crunchy in the middle. The grapes burst against the rosemary and the mint keeps everything lifted. Two birds is more meat than it looks, most of it on the legs, and kohlrabi does not go limp overnight the way lettuce does, so this is one of the few salads that genuinely travels.
Ingredients
- 8 whole quail (about 4 oz each), patted dry
- 2 medium kohlrabi bulbs (about 14 oz total), peeled and shaved thin
- 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven and season the birds: Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Pat the quail very dry inside and out with paper towels. Rub them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic, the rosemary, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, working some of it under the skin of the breasts where you can.
- Shave the kohlrabi: Cut the stems off the kohlrabi and peel deeply with a knife, taking off the fibrous layer that sits under the skin. Shave the bulbs into thin slices on a mandoline or with a vegetable peeler, then toss them with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the remaining salt and set them aside until the birds come out, since the lemon and salt need those few minutes to soften the slices from crunchy to crisp.
- Roast the quail: Set the birds breast side up in a roasting pan with space between them and roast for 14 to 16 minutes, until the skin is browned and the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C). Move them to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes while you finish the salad.
- Make the pan dressing: Tip the fat and juices from the roasting pan into a small bowl, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom, and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice. It should taste sharp, since the salad is sweet.
- Build the salad: Add the grapes, mint, and scallions to the kohlrabi and toss with about two thirds of the warm dressing. Do this right before you serve it, since the mint darkens once it is dressed.
- Serve: Divide the salad among four plates, set two quail on each, and spoon the rest of the dressing over the birds while the skin is still hot, because that is when it takes up the lemon rather than shedding it. Eat them with your hands. Small bones and a fork are a bad combination.
Variations
- Radicchio underneath: Add a handful of shredded radicchio to the salad for bitterness against the sweet grapes.
- Orange and thyme: Use orange segments in place of the grapes and thyme in place of the rosemary for a softer, sweeter plate.
- Grilled instead: Split the birds down the back, flatten them, and grill over medium-high for about 10 minutes, turning once.
- Herb swap: Torn basil in place of the mint changes the whole character of the salad and suits the grapes just as well.
- Crunchier salad: Add sliced water chestnuts or a shaved turnip to the kohlrabi when you want more texture in the bowl.
Storage & Leftovers
Roasted quail keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and are very good cold, which is the reason this works as a packed lunch. Store the birds and the undressed salad separately, and keep the pan dressing in a small jar so nothing sits wet overnight.
The kohlrabi will hold shaved and undressed for 2 days in a covered container with a damp paper towel over it. Dress it the morning you plan to eat it. Grapes go soft once they are cut, so halve them fresh rather than the night before if you can manage it.
I would not freeze the birds after roasting, since quail is small enough that freezing and thawing dries out what little there is. Freeze them raw instead, still in the pack they came in, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator the day before you want this.
Notes & Tips
- Buy them frozen and thaw them overnight: Nearly all quail is sold frozen in packs of four. A slow thaw in the refrigerator keeps the meat from going watery, and the birds must be dry before they go in the oven.
- Peel the kohlrabi with a knife: There is a woody layer under the skin that no amount of shaving will fix. Cut it away in strips, then slice what is left as thin as you can.
- Give the birds space: Quail packed shoulder to shoulder steam each other and stay pale. Use a pan big enough that you can see the bottom between them.
- Use a thermometer: The thigh should read 165°F (74°C), and at that point the breast is still juicy. Guessing on a bird this small costs you the whole plate.
- Salt the kohlrabi early: Ten minutes with salt and lemon takes the raw edge off and softens the slices slightly while keeping the crunch.
- Dress the salad warm: Pouring the hot pan juices over cold kohlrabi is the moment this dish comes together. Do it at the table if you can.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Quail, kohlrabi, and grapes give you three different things in one plate. The birds are rich and deeply savory, the shaved kohlrabi is cool and crunchy underneath them, and the grapes break sweet against both so nothing eats the same way twice.
- Quail is darker and fuller in flavor than chicken, with iron and B vitamins behind that color, and the birds are small enough that the whole thing roasts in the time it takes to shave a salad.
- Kohlrabi eaten raw is crisp and juicy with a faint sweetness like the tender part of a broccoli stem, and it holds its vitamin C well when it never sees heat. Shaved thin it takes on a dressing the way a slaw does.
- Red grapes are mostly water and sugar with polyphenols concentrated in their skins, and halving them lets the juice run into the dressing so the sweetness reaches every part of the plate rather than sitting in pockets.
- Garlic and rosemary rubbed into the skin, mint torn in at the end, and lemon over everything is the whole seasoning here, and the warm pan juices poured over the cold salad are what pull the two halves of the plate together.
- As you eat, use your fingers and take the time the small bones ask for, and let the crunch of the raw kohlrabi against the warm meat be the thing that tells you when you have had enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use if I cannot find quail?
Cornish hens work at the same temperature, split in half and roasted for 30 to 35 minutes, and one half is a serving. Bone-in chicken thighs also work, about 35 minutes at the same heat. Both are milder, so add a little more rosemary and lemon to make up the difference.
My quail came out dry. What did I do wrong?
Almost always time. These birds are small and the difference between juicy and chalky is about four minutes, so use a thermometer at the thigh and pull them at 165°F (74°C). A pan that is too crowded also steams them, which pushes you into overcooking while you wait for color.
Can I make it the night before?
Yes. Roast the birds, cool them, and refrigerate everything separately, then assemble in the morning. The salad takes about 3 minutes to put together. Take the quail out 15 minutes before you eat so they are not fridge-cold, or eat them straight from the container.
Does this fit an AIP elimination phase?
It does. There are no grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, or nightshades in it, and the seasoning is garlic, rosemary, mint, lemon, and salt. If your quail comes pre-seasoned or brined, read the package, since those mixes usually carry pepper.