John Cesters Poultry & Game Meat

Venison & Game Meat Melbourne

Roast quail with rosemary, thyme & garlic

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INGREDIENTS:

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For the Quail:

  • 8 quail (to feed 4 as a main meal)
  • 1 small lemon, cut into eighths
  • 40g (2 tablespoons) butter, cubed
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled, bruised
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked
  • 125mls (1/2 cup) chicken stock
  • 60mls (1/4 cup) dry white wine
  • Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
  • Steamed waxy potatoes and green beans, to serve

For the Herb Butter

  • 60g (3 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • Salt & ground black pepper, to taste

HOW TO:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

Step 2: To make the herb butter, place the butter, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well to combine.

Step 3: Use your fingers to carefully loosen the skin over the quail breasts. Spread herb butter over the breasts and then re-cover with the skin.

Step 4: Divide the lemon, butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary among the cavities of the quail. Tie the legs together with wet unwaxed string.

Step 5: Place the quail in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the juices are pale pink when a fine skewer is inserted into the thigh. Remove the quail from the roasting pan and place on a large plate. Cover loosely with foil and stand for 10 minutes to rest.

Step 6: Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium heat. Add the stock and white wine and cook for 1 minute, scraping with a wooden spoon to dislodge any residue left on the base of the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until reduced by 1/2. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooked Goat Shoulder with Hummus, Mint Salsa and Salad of Chickpeas and Tomatoes

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Slow Cooked Goat Shoulder with Hummus, Mint Salsa and Salad of Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • Brining solution

  • 100 g table salt
  • 4 litres warm water
  • 1 head garlic, halved
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 thyme sprigs

  • Hummus

  • 100 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
  • 25 ml olive oil
  • 15 g tahini
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • ½ lemon, juice of
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ cup water
  • Salt and pepper

  • Mint salsa

  • 10 gm crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn
  • 30 ml milk
  • ½ bunch mint
  • ¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ garlic clove
  • 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 25 ml Chardonnay vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

  • Salad of chickpeas and tomato

  • 60 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
  • 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 basil leaves
  • 3 coriander leaves
  • 3 sprigs of dill
  • 3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
  • 20 ml olive oil
  • 10 ml Chardonnay vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dukkah

Method

  1. To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt in water in a large saucepan and add the garlic and aromatic herbs.

  2. Place the goat shoulders in the brine, then refrigerate for at least four hours to brine. Drain well (discard the brine), then pat dry with absorbent paper.

  3. Preheat oven to 115°C. Place the goat shoulders in a roasting pan, drizzle with the oil and

  4. Season to taste, then scatter the herbs and garlic over the top. Add stock to pan, cover with foil and roast for 3½ hours or until the meat is tender and falls from the bone.

  5. Remove the foil, increase the oven to 220°C, then return the goat to the oven for 10-12 minutes to caramelize and crisp the skin.

  6. To make the hummus, combine the chickpeas and enough cold water to cover generously, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain and combine the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and cumin in a blender and blitz for 1 minute or until a paste is formed, add the water gradually until a puree consistency forms, then season to taste and refrigerate until needed.

  7. To make the mint salsa, soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes or until softened then squeeze out all excess milk. Combine the soaked bread in a blender with the mint, parsley, garlic and olive oil and blitz for approximately 30 seconds or until all the herbs have broken down. Just before serving, add the vinegar and season to taste.

  8. To make the salad of chickpeas and tomatoes, combine the chickpeas and enough cold water to cover generously, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain and combine the chickpeas with the cherry tomatoes, spanish onion and herbs in a bowl, drizzle with vinegar and olive oil then mix well to combine. Sprinkle with dukkah and season to taste.

    To Serve:

  1. Spread some hummus on a serving plate. Slice the goat, place on the hummus, then place some salad beside. Spoon some mint salsa over the goat and serve.

(Lifestyle Food, 2012)

Yoghurt-Marinated Roast Chicken

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  • One whole chicken
  • 2 cups plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped051108023-01-yogurt-roasted-chicken-recipe_xlg
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1 Tbs. cracked black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Use poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone; remove and discard the backbone. Flip the chicken over and press down gently to break the breastbone and flatten the breast slightly.

In a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the yogurt, garlic, shallot, parsley, dill, cracked peppercorns, lemon zest, and 2 tsp. salt. Add the chicken to the bag and turn to coat well. Set in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put it skin side up on a broiler pan or on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Season both sides well with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and loosely tent it with foil; let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

(Fine Cooking, 2012)

Roasted Stuffed Quail

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Here’s another delicious recipe from our customers Maggie & Rick, using Quail!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown ricequail-11
  • 20g butter
  • 2 French shallots, finely chopped
  • grated zest of 1 orange
  • 50g currants; or 40g pickled cherries, pips removed and flesh chopped
  • 50g almond flakes, crushed by hand; or 50g roasted chestnut, chopped
    leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 quails (they cooked 3 but there is enough stuffing for 4)

Method

  1. Cook the rice in plenty of salted, boiling water for 35 minutes; it must be tender. Drain and place in a mixing bowl.quail-21
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small, non-stick pan and sauté the shallot for about 12 minutes, until it is quite soft. Add shallot to rice.
  3. Add fruit, nuts and thyme leaves, stir, season well and mix thoroughly.
  4. Remove the last wing segments from the quail and divide the stuffing between the four quail cavities; use less rather than pack the stuffing tightly.
  5. Place quail in a small ceramic or glass roasting dish lined with baking paper, brush upper quail surfaces with olive oil and roast in an oven pre-heated to 180C. Baste after 10 minutes and 20 minutes.
  6. Stuffed quail cook more slowly, so it should take up to 25 minutes to produce quail that are a light, golden brown.quail-31

To accompany the quail, we roasted some well-seasoned pieces of kipfler potato and parsnip with olive oil, garlic and chopped rosemary leaves; and we wilted a bunch of spinach leaves and mixed them with Dijon mustard and cooking cream.

(RMG Travels and Food, 2014)

Roast Duck with Cherry Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 2 kg duck, whole
  • 450 g fresh cherries, pitted, halved
  • sea salt
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) tawny (port)roast-duck
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbspsugar
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) water

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced).
  2. Remove duck from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Rinse duck inside and out, pat dry. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Using a skewer, prick skin of the breast, just into the fat, but not as deep as the meat. Make about 10 holes in each side. This will allow the fat to render out during cooking and will make the skin lovely and crisp.
  3. Place the duck on a wire rack in a baking dish, rub skin with sea salt flakes. Roast, about 2 1/2 hours, or until duck is browned and tender.
  4. Meanwhile, place cherries, soy sauce, tawny, pepper, sugar, balsamic vinegar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes, until it becomes syrupy. It will thicken a little more on cooling.
  5. Serve duck accompanied with cherry sauce.

(Food To Love, 2011)