Spiced Grilled Quail

OK, quail are maybe not the most appropriate finger-food out there, though, really there isn’t any other way to eat them. Nobody at our Superbowl-Mezze party seemed to mind – these little guys were delicious!

Spiced Grilled Quail

6 quail, cleaned
2 Tbsp mulberry molasses (or pomegranate molasses)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Note: this recipe assumes you are grinding the cumin and coriander from whole seeds. If you have only pre-ground spices, you might want to add a bit more.

Combine the molasses, lemon juice and spices in a baking dish or ziplock bag. Add the quail and coat well in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the quail occasionally.

Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before you want to cook them.

You can optionally spatchcock the birds by using kitchen shears to cut out the backbone, then cut two slits in the rear skin and tuck the legs in. Doing this helps keep the quail more tidy on the grill and, honestly, a lot more appealing on the plate in my opinion.

Grill on high heat for about 4 minutes per side.