Light salad greens and bright vinaigrette provide the counterpoint to this savory, lightly sweet, porter-powered grilled quail.
Serves: 4–6
Molasses Porter Quail
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) porter
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) molasses
4 semi-boneless quail, halved, backbone and breastplate removed
1 lb (454 g) mixed greens
¾ cup (6 fl oz/177 ml) bock vinaigrette (see below)
1 red bell pepper, minced
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Combine the porter and molasses and mix well. Add the quail to the porter mixture and let marinate for 1 hour.
Turn the grill to high. Grill the quail until done, brushing with the marinade as you go.
Toss the greens with the bock vinaigrette and red pepper and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Lay the quail over the greens and serve.
MaiBock Vinaigrette
2 small shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) maibock
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) balsamic vinegar
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) olive oil
¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) canola oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
In a blender, combine the shallots, garlic, maibock, and vinegar. Puree until smooth. Mix the olive oil and canola oil in a small bowl. With the blender on low speed, slowly drizzle the oil into the blender until fully incorporated and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Beer suggestions: For the quail recipe, try Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Cleveland), Port City Porter (Alexandria, Virginia), or Sierra Nevada Porter (Chico, California); for the vinaigrette, try Chuckanut Maibock (Bellingham, Washington), Goldfinger Maibock (Downers Grove, Illinois), or Mönchsambacher Maibock (Mönchsambach, Franconia, Germany). To enjoy with the meal, try any of those or your favorite pale ale.