Roasted Quail with Sage and Squash Cornbread Dressing

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Justin Townsend

Editor-in-Chief at Harvesting Nature

Justin (Choctaw) is an avid hunter, angler, and chef whose passion for the outdoors lead him to create Harvesting Nature in 2011. He continues to hunt, fish, and cook all while sharing his experiences with others through film, podcasts, print, and with recipes. He also proudly serves in the United States Coast Guard.

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Recipe prepared by Editor-in-Chief J. Townsend. Photos by Creative Director J. Deardorff.

To celebrate the opening of dove season and some other upland game seasons I wanted to share a delicious recipe that can be prepared with any upland game bird. One step prior to cooking is to semi-debone the bird. This can be a little difficult as the birds get larger but it is totally worth it once you sink your teeth into the finished product. Check out the video below which will show you how to semi-debone the quail before you cook.

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Ingredients:

• 6 semi-deboned quail
• Cornbread from 1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix (prepared following ingredients and instruction)
• ½ white onion, minced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced squash or zucchini
• 2 cups of chicken or turkey stock
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp minced fresh sage
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Preheat a large cast iron pan on medium high heat
3. Melt the 1 tbsp butter in the pan
4. Add the onion, celery, squash
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently
6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vegetables to a large mixing bowl
7. Crumble up the cornbread in the bowl
8. Add the stock, sage, and half of the seasonings
9. Stir until thoroughly mixed
10. Use the remaining seasoning to coat the outside of the quail pieces
11. Use the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to coat the inside of the pan, if not too hot
12. Add the mixture the pan, top with the quail pieces, and bake for 20-30 minute or until the quail and the bread are a nice golden brown color.

(For larger birds, cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This may require partially cooking the larger bird first then adding the dressing)