Quail with fiery tarator, pistachio & pomegranate

In this recipe from Shane Delia's Layla restaurant, plump quails are fried in a pistachio crumb, then served on a harissa tarator and covered in a spring onion salad to make for an impressive dinner party dish.

Credit: Jason Loucas

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 4 butterflied quails, breast and leg separate (see Notes)
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• Flour, for crumbing
• 2 litres canola oil, for frying

Pistachio crumb 

• 50 g cornflakes
• 50 g panko crumbs
• 5 g black Aleppo pepper (see Notes)
• 5 g salt flakes 
• 25 g chopped pistachios 

Tarator 

• 100 g tahini 
• 1 clove garlic, grated 
• 2 g North African harissa paste 
• 10 g lemon juice 
• 3 g salt 
• 45 g water 

Garnish

• 4 sprigs spring onions, finely sliced 
• ½ bunch coriander leaves, picked and washed
• ½ bunch parsley leaves, picked and washed
• 1 bunch red shiso leaves, picked and washed
• 1 shallot, finely diced 
• 1 lemon
• ½ pomegranate, kernels only 
• 25 g chopped pistachios 
• Extra-virgin olive oil 
• Salt

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the pistachio crumb, in a mixing bowl, slightly crush the cornflakes with your hands. Add remaining ingredients toss well to combine.
2. To prepare the quails, dust the quails with flour then transfer to the beaten egg mixture. Place one quail into the pistachio crumb, turning to completely coat, and transfer to a tray. Repeat with the remaining quails and keep in the fridge until required.
3. To make the tarator, place all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
4. To make the garnish, first prepare the lemon segments. Slice off the ends of the lemon, then slice off the skin and white inner pith. Cut out the lemon segments between the membranes, then cut each segment into thirds. Place all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. 
5. Prepare a plate or tray with absorbent paper. Add oil to a medium-sized and bring to 175°C. Add quail and fry for 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on the prepared plate. 
6. To serve, place the tarator on the bottom of a serving dish, top with the fried quails, garnish with the salad and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. 

Note

• Buy your quail from a trusted butcher who can butterfly it for you, otherwise you can do it at home using kitchen scissors.
• You can find black Aleppo pepper in Middle Eastern grocers.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.