Sunday Roast: The Christmas Rehearsal

In preparation for the Christmas big bird roast, try this juicy and light Ottolenghian take on Moroccan roasted quail ?

Roasted quail with pomegranate molasses and jewelled couscous

YOU WILL NEED

For the quail

• 1 quail per person
• olive oil
• pomegranate molasses
• sea salt
• cracked black pepper

For The Couscous

• 200g pearl or mograbiah couscous
• 150g pomegranate seeds
• handful of chopped mint
• juice of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 ?C/140 ?C fan/gas mark 3.
2. Remove wishbone from quail (best to ask your butcher to do this), smear with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 8 minutes.
4. Remove and put some molasses on top and return to oven for another 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
5. Cook the couscous according to packet instructions and mix in the remaining ingredients.
6. Serve the quail on a bed of couscous and a side of root vegetables.

If you enjoyed this exercise, stay tuned for lots more festive recipes in our food section and get Donal Skehan’s Christmas menu inside our current issue.

RECIPES Lesley Tumulty

PHOTOGRAPHY Nathalie Marquez Courtney

STYLING Marlene Wessels