Quail with Prickly Ash and Lime

Ingredients

• 6 large quail
• 6 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2.5 cm piece ginger, bruised and cut into 6 pieces
• 4 cloves of  garlic, peeled and bruised
• 2 spring onions roughly chopped
• 1 litre Master Stock
• 750ml vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs Prickly Ash
• 2 limes, quartered

Method

Rinse the quail inside and out. Roughly pound the star anise and cinnamon with a mortar and pestle.

Place an equal amount of ginger, garlic, spring onions, star anise and cinnamon in the cavity of each quail. Seal the openings by threading toothpicks through the skin.

Place the Master stock and quail in a large pot and gently bring to the boil.

When it boils, remove from heat and leave the quail to sit in the stock for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes remove the quail and place on a wire rack to drain. Refrigerate the quail for 2 hours or until the skin is hard.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy based pan (180°C) and fry the quail 3 at a time until crisp.

Drain on paper towels.

To serve - remove the toothpicks and cut the quail in half.

Discard the stuffing and sprinkle the quail with Prickly Ash.

Serve with wedges of lime.