Escaped Prisoners, Saturday Recipe

I see in the news tonight (Friday) that one of the escaped convicts has been shot to death. It is a very odd incident and one wonders just what part the arrested guards played in the escape.

Here's something special for my last asparagus Saturday Recipe this year. I've got to see if I can get hold of any quail round here.

Marinated Quail on a Bed of Asparagus

Serves	2 dinner or 4 brunch servings

Ingredients

Asparagus

1. 1 bundle asparagus
2. 75 ml (1/ 3 cup) pine nuts
3. 30 ml (2 tbsp.) white wine or chicken broth
4. 5 ml (1 tsp.) honey

Marinade

1. To taste, salt and pepper
2. 4 quails, partially deboned
3. 1 garlic clove, minced
4. 5 ml (1 tsp.) lemon zest
5. 15 ml (1 tbsp.) fresh tarragon
6. 30 ml (2 tbsp.) honey
7. 60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice
8. 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Method

1. Combine all marinade ingredients. Rinse quail under cold water. Dry well. Place in a resealable bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place quail on a rack in roasting pan. Add salt and pepper. Set aside 60 ml (¼ cup) marinade for sauce and reserve remainder for basting. Place quail on centre rack of oven and cook uncovered for 35 minutes.
3. Baste twice during cooking, using half of the reserved marinade each time. Meanwhile, steam asparagus until crisp-tender.
4. Pour reserved 60 ml (¼ cup) marinade in small saucepan. Add wine and honey. Simmer for 3–4 minutes. Toast pine nuts in a pan over high heat, stirring constantly.
5. To serve, arrange asparagus on plates and garnish with pine nuts. Place quail on top. Drizzle honey-lemon sauce over quail.

Have a great weekend.