How to Korean Quail with an XO Sauce without shellfish
This recipe was a huge hit with Jp. I wanted to make a XO sauce to go with the quail but one without shellfish. Usually the XO sauce consists of dried scallops and shrimp among other ingredients. I wanted make the XO sauce with a similar flavor profile of fish and add some meat to give it a complex deep flavor. The results were absolutely delicious! I added some pear, sweet potato, and broccoli puree to the dish and rounded it all out with a little pickled onions. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!
Recipe Ingredients
4 whole quail, breast deboned, cut legs and thighs and wings from the quail
Marinade
4 tbsp of tamari
4 tbsp of pear juice
1 tsp of sambal
1 tsp of ginger and garlic
3 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of korean chili flakes
XO Sauce
3 slices of beef bacon small diced
8 wings of quail
8 thighs of quail
1 lb of fish bones
1 large onion
15 garlic cloves
1 large finger of ginger peeled and minced (3 oz)
1 large leek small diced
1/4 cup sambal
1/4 cup dark soy or tamari
2 cups of water
4 tbsp of sesame oil
Broccoli cilantro puree
2 large broccoli stems peeled and chopped
1 head of broccoli
1/4 cup of cream
2 tbsp of butter
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
salt to taste
2 jewel sweet potatoes
2 tbsp of olive oil
pinch of salt
1 asian pear sliced
2 shallots sliced with 1/4 cup of seasoned rice wine vinegar and salt
2 tbsp snipped chives
Recipe Instructions
How to marinate quail,
Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the breasts and legs to the marinade.
How to make broccoli puree,
Place broccoli stems and head in a small pot fill with water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 10-13 minutes until they are very tender. Then strain out the water and pour in the cream back into the pot and heat up. Then pour everything into a vita mix along with cilantro and butter. Puree for 1 minute until smooth and adjust the seasoning with salt. Set aside and keep warm
How to roast sweet potato,
Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until they are tender all the way through. Take out and cool.
How to make XO sauce without shellfish,
In a small pot on medium high heat add bacon and quail wings. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile add ginger and garlic to a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Take a slotted spoon and spoon out the bacon. Then add sesame oil, onions, leeks, garlic, ginger and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the bacon back in along with sambal, soy, water. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a light simmer. Add the quail thighs to the pot and cook for about 30-40 minutes. The sauce should cook out most of the water and should be more like a relish than a “sauce”.
How to quick pickle onions,
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and allow to soak for as long as you like.
How to roast quail,
Season quail legs with salt and take out of the marinade. Place legs in a small pan and place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes until they are tender. Meanwhile season the breast with salt. In a medium hot saute pan add sesame oil and the quail breast. Cook on medium for 5-7 minutes and then flip over. Cook for another 5-7 minutes and then add 2 spoonfuls of XO sauce on top of each breast. Turn the pan off and allow the quail to keep cooking in the pan while the heat is off. Then on the plate add broccoli puree. Take the legs out of the oven and place 2 on a plate. Then take the breast out of the pan and cut in half. Place a spoonful of XO sauce on the plate and add quail breast on top. Take a braised thigh out of the XO sauce and place on the plate. Add a few slices of pear and sweet potato to the plate. Garnish with a snipped chives. Serve and enjoy!
