A brace (pair) of whole French quail — small, delicate birds with tender, fine-grained flesh and a subtle, gently savoury flavour that sits somewhere between chicken and game. Quail is lean, quick to cook, and elegant in presentation: each bird is a single generous portion, making a brace the natural choice for two people.

The flesh is more succulent than most game birds, with a mild, clean flavour that takes well to bold seasoning and robust accompaniments without being overpowered. The small size of the bird means the ratio of skin to meat is high, which is an advantage — when roasted or grilled at high heat, the skin crisps quickly and evenly, adding texture and flavour to every bite. The bones are small and light, so the meat-to-bone ratio is better than you might expect for a bird this size.

Because quail is lean, the key to cooking it well is speed and heat. These birds benefit from high-temperature roasting, spatchcocking and grilling, or pan-roasting with a generous amount of butter. They dry out if overcooked, so getting them off the heat promptly and allowing them to rest is important. A brief barding with bacon or pancetta is a traditional French technique that adds fat and protects the breast during cooking.

These quail arrive oven-ready and IQF frozen, so you can defrost as many as you need.

Producer: France

Ingredients: Whole quail

Storage: Store frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours before cooking. Once defrosted, use within 2 days. Do not refreeze.

Net: 425g± total (2 whole quail)

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