"Tandoori" Quail

This grilled curried quail recipe is inspired by tandoori chicken, an Indian dish of marinated meat that is cooked in a cylindrical clay oven called a tandoor. This special oven is fueled by charcoal or wood, so if you don't have a tandoor oven-- which is probably the case for most of you-- a charcoal grill would work just fine.  

Tandoori chicken's signature bright red color is usually achieved by food coloring, although spicier versions get their color from the generous use of cayenne and red chili powder. Since I neither wanted to spend the entire night on the toilet nor use artificial food coloring, I skipped the red and I didn't miss it.  Simply adjust the spiciness by taking away or adding more cayenne pepper. 

These little birds make a delicious appetizer or finger food, and they are so flavorful with all the savory herbs and spices. Figure two birds per person as part of a meal. Or if you want to save your guests from having to eat like a barbarian, consider deboning the quail. Serious Eats has a good tutorial on how do this, but it is a bit of work. https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/09/how-to-prepare-quail-for-cooking.html

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 whole quail, skin on
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, plus extra
- ½ teaspoon of coriander
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- ½ teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper 
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala powder
- Juice of half a lemon 
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 inches of ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- ¾ cup of plain yogurt 

1. Using kitchen shears, cut open each quail down the back. Turn each bird breast-side up and press down with the palm of your hand to break the wishbone to flatten birds. Set aside.

2. In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Add the quail to the marinade and coat each bird. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

3. Remove birds from refrigerator an hour prior to cooking. When ready to cook, prepare grill for medium-high heat cooking. Brush grates with oil. Remove quail from marinade and shake off excess. Grill on each side until birds are browned, slightly charred and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve immediately. 

Pictured are blistered shishito peppers tossed with olive oil and kosher salt.