Quail with Fruit and Nut Stuffing

8 quail
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup raisins
3 cloves
1/2 cup dried coarsely chopped apricots
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup chopped pecans
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to hot (450 degrees).

2. Wash and dry the quail. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper.

3. In a saucepan combine the orange juice, raisins and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer five minutes. Strain the mixture, discarding the cloves and reserving the orange juice and raisins.

4. In a mixing bowl combine the raisins, apricots, ginger, orange peel, and the nuts. Mix well and use the mixture to stuff the quail.

5. Place the quail on a rack in a shallow open roasting pan and brush olive oil. Bake five minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to slow (300 degrees) and bake twenty-five minutes longer, basting frequently with the remaining orange juice.

6. Place the quail in a chafing dish. Season the liquid in the roasting pan with salt and pepper to taste and pour over the quail. When steam rises from the chafing dish, serve at once. 8 servings

Posted to rec.food.recipes by Pat Gold on June 20, 1995.
Adapted by Patti Vincent