Charlie is not at some starch-tableclothed French restaurant, but at home in her Wiltshire farmhouse. And she's just four years old. Her father, Tim, has just started rearing quail on the family farm near Devizes, one of just a handful of producers in the country. He'd like to see quail shedding its "posh nosh" image, and becoming as popular as it is in places such as France and the Middle East – or as it was in Britain before the First World War, when wild quail were shot for the pot. At £5 a pair, Tim believes that's perfectly feasible.
"It's the ideal fast food," he says, showing me three stripy ping pong ball-sized chicks that hatched just minutes before I arrive. "They take just six to eight weeks to rear, and about six to eight minutes to cook – that's faster than it takes to heat up a ready meal. I'd like to see quail becoming available to all."
Taste-wise, quail is a fuller-flavoured, slightly nutty, version of chicken. Many also compare it to partridge, its nearest game bird relative. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the 18th-century French gastronome, declared that "among game properly so called, the quail is the daintiest and most delightful", a view with which plenty of modern-day cooks would agree. But perhaps its greatest selling point is that it's the perfect portion size for one. With more and more of us living alone, quail could be the ideal bachelor fodder.
Like so many businesses, Tim's quail venture started by accident. Tim was working as a police officer with the Wiltshire constabulary and in 2005 was sent to investigate the theft of wind turbines and solar panels used to power a local poultry farm. He was attracted by the idea of chicken houses that used green energy, he and the farmer got talking, and Tim considered giving it a go.
The timing was good. Tim's father-in-law, Robert Elliott, farmed near Devizes but the 68-acre farm was pretty much on its knees after being assailed first by milk quotas, then BSE and finally foot-and-mouth disease. He was looking for a project, so he and Tim decided to transform themselves into poultry farmers, beginning with egg-laying hens, then expanding into quail. Having started with quail eggs, Tim soon realised that the real gap in the market was for the meat. By the spring, he hopes to be producing 2,500 quail a week and to be slaughtering them on site (they are currently dispatched elsewhere).
His quail are mainly Japanese, around twice the size of the few remaining migrant wild quail (whose hunting is now banned) you may be lucky enough to spot in places such as Dorset or Wiltshire in the summer months. The quail was domesticated in Japan in the 12th century, first as a songbird, then for its meat and eggs. Weighing in at around 14oz when fully grown at six to eight weeks, each coturnix japonica of Tim's has a surprising amount of flesh on its delicate little bones.
Every part of a quail's life, it appears, is woefully accident-prone. Being born is a highly risky business, with siblings quick to trample a chick to death within seconds of it foisting its way out of an egg. When the birds sleep, their position is so awkward they look as if they're playing dead. And when it comes to flying, well, let's be frank, they are rubbish – bizarre in a bird that in its wild state manages to migrate here all the way from North Africa and beyond.
Quail also hate the British weather, and will catch their death of cold if it's windy or raining. To make things worse, if left to roam in the fields, they would be devoured within minutes by predators such as birds of prey or foxes. All of which makes it exceedingly challenging to rear quail in free-range conditions.
However, Tim is passionate about rearing his birds free-range, as he believes it's not only more humane but produces a far tastier meat. So, given the delicate nature of his tiny charges, he's settled on leaving one end of their hut open to the elements, and placing grass turf inside which the birds can root around on.
Tim is keen to get his quail registered as free-range and organic (they are fed organic chicken-feed), but when he made enquiries, he discovered there were no guidelines. "I was told by the Soil Association that as my quail are not a native species, there are no regulations. So I am having to make things up as I go along."
Certified or not, Tim's quail are already getting chefs excited. Top-end restaurants such as Whatley Manor in Malmesbury and The Bath Priory have placed orders, thrilled to find quail meat that's both top-quality and local. Sam Moody, The Bath Priory's head chef, has come to check out Tim's farm for himself and is now preparing a dish of quail with Puy lentils and wild mushrooms in the farmhouse for Tim, his in-laws and me. "The meat has an amazing flavour for a tiny bird that's not been aged or hung. The only bird you can compare it with is partridge, but partridge is more bitter. Quail is unlike any other game bird," Sam says. "We should certainly be eating more at home, too – it's a lovely meat and dead easy to cook."
Will Holland, chef-patron at the Michelin-starred La Bécasse restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire, agrees. "Quail is an incredibly versatile meat. It's not too strong, so you can put major flavours with it, like wild mushrooms, roasted salsify or even black pudding."
Will has been forced to get his quail from France, where production and consumption are huge, but is happy to see them now being produced at home. "Once this expands, and the TV chefs start talking about them, quail could really take off. People really want new ingredients that are also home-grown."
Back in Tim's kitchen, our lunch is nearly ready. The quail are left to rest for 10 minutes or so – to ensure the meat is tender – while Sam combines wild mushrooms, lentils and baby vegetables with a fabulous ragout made from stock using the quail carcass. I take my first mouthful and it's pure heaven.
Quail served this way makes a great party piece to impress your friends. But if Tim and other quail farmers have their way, the bird could become everyday fare, too. On a busy weekday night, just bung a quail in the oven or on to the griddle or barbecue for a few minutes and you have an almost instant dinner. Quail and chips, anyone?
Roasted Quail with a Wild Mushroom and Puy Lentil Ragout
By Sam Moody
Serves 3 as main, or 6 as starter
For the ragout
200g Puy lentils
1 carrot
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
Bouquet garni (celery, thyme, bay, parsley, wrapped in a leek skin)
Good pinch of salt
20 smoked bacon rind
Water to cover
Cover the lentils in cold water, bring to a quick boil and refresh. Place all of the ingredients back into a pan, cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook slowly until tender but not mushy, 1-2 hrs, you will need to top up the water from time to time. Remove vegetables, and cool in liquid.
For the main dish
6 quail
15 button onions, peeled
15 baby carrots
200g mixed wild mushrooms
Non-scented oil e.g. sunflower oil
Good knob of butter
Shredded & blanched kale
Chopped chives, tarragon
Allow your quail a good 30 min out of the fridge before cooking, allowing them to come up to room temperature.
In a large heavy-bottomed pan heat the oil until it starts to haze, season the quail all over with salt and pepper and then add them to the pan. Colour to a light golden brown on all sides, 2 min on each side. Add the butter and allow to noisette, then turn on to their backs and baste each quail well, cook in a medium oven for 6-10 min, remove and rest in a warm place for 15 min.
Drain out the excess fat, and then add the onions and carrots, lightly colour, and allow to soften 5 min, now add the mushrooms and season with a little salt.
Drain the lentils and then add them to the pan, and the kale, bring to a simmer, adjust seasoning.
Now, working quickly, remove the breast from each quail, season with coarse sea salt and flash in a warm but not hot oven.
Add the herbs to your ragout, bring back to simmer and place into your bowls, top with the 2 breasts and 2 legs, and some chopped candied walnut if you like. Enjoy with some crusty bread and butter.
Sam Moody is head chef at The Bath Priory, Bath (01225 331922; www.the bathpriory.co.uk)
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