Go Back
+ servings

Bacon Wrapped Quail with a Butter Pesto Sauce

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the quail

  • 4 dressed whole quail (mine average 5oz each)
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon

For the butter pesto sauce

  • 4 tablespoon high-quality pesto
  • 3 tablespoon butter (I use salted in this recipe)

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees, and line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Wrap each quail in 2 pieces of bacon, securing with toothpicks.
  • In a small saucepan, melt together the pesto and butter. Stir until well melted and fully mixed.
  • Place bacon-wrapped quail in the baking dish. Drizzle each with a spoonful of the pesto sauce, leaving the remaining sauce for gently garnishing at serving time.
  • When the oven is fully up to temperature, bake quail for 20 minutes.
  • Turn quail over in the baking dish, then return to oven and BROIL for about 3 minutes, or until bacon is getting brown, crackly, and crispy.
  • Turn quail back over (so the side that was up as they baked is now back on top), and broil for about another 3 minutes, until bacon is brown and crackly on this side as well.
  • Remove from oven, and serve as soon as possible. Use the remaining butter pesto sauce to drizzle each quail as it's plated.
  • If you're a passionate pesto lover, consider doubling the sauce recipe, and serving the remaining sauce in a small ramekin at the table.