Four Calling Birds

It’s interesting how the English language has evolved. Only in England can you be speaking the same language as they did say 500 years ago and not understand a single word. I was reading in the newspaper the other day (I think I’m still the only one! My brother only reads the sports page (sort of) and my mom only buys the newspaper because here in Utah we get the LDS Church News for free with a subscription to the local paper), and they, a word that now means “un-employable people with very little else to waste tax-payer dollars on and too much time on their hands”, (Aren’t you glad I broke it down to one word?) discovered that the items listed in the 12 Days of Christmas now cost close to $87,000, slightly up from last year. I’d like to see the day when the Leaping Lords take a pay cut. It’s a union thing.

Anywho….back to the English language we all know and hate so much. These same very bored people noted that “calling birds” refers to canaries. You know what I’m going to say next. “Wrong!” Actually, according to a friend of my mother’s who did some research, none of which I can remember so your just going to have to take my word for it, the original manuscript for the song lists, not “calling birds”, but “cawling birds”, meaning “birds that caw.” Think “Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Baked in a Pie.” Yeah, I think I’ll stick with chicken. It’s a safer bet.

For this recipe I’ve used quail, which is actually more closely related to the partridge and which I could have used instead of pheasant. However, pheasant worked better for the salad on the first day and quail works better here. Yeah, chicken’s looking good right about now, huh?

Risotto is an Italian dish that uses a short grain rice called Arborio. It has a lot of starch which gives it a creamy texture when it’s cooked. You can find some par-boiled risotto mixes in your grocery store, or you can just use plain everyday, joe-blow rice. Whichever floats your boat.

Four Calling Birds
Roasted Quail Stuffed Portobello with Cilantro Lime Risotto

4 boneless Quail or chicken breasts
4 tsp olive oil
1 T salt
½ T pepper
½ T ground coriander
4 large Portobello mushrooms
2 T white wine vinegar
¼ C olive oil
2 T white Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp ground rosemary
1 box risotto rice mix (w/out seasoning)
Or
1 C Arborio rice
2 T butter
2 green onions, chopped
½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp coriander
2 ½ C hot chicken broth
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. If using Arborio rice, start the chicken stock simmering. Mix together the salt, pepper and coriander. Season the quail, or chicken, with this mixture and coat each with a teaspoon of olive oil. Let rest.

With a spoon, gently clean out the black gills from underneath the mushrooms. Mix the white wine vinegar, olive oil, white Worcestershire sauce and rosemary. Add the clean mushrooms and let soak.

If using risotto mix, follow the instructions on the box with out the seasoning packet. Instead, use the green onions, garlic, cumin and coriander, and use the chicken broth instead of water. If using Arborio rice, first, sauté the green onions, garlic and spices in one tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet. Add the rice. Stir the rice until well coated with the butter but doesn’t turn brown. Add ½ cup chicken stock and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is almost completely soaked up by the rice. Add another ½ cup of chicken stock. Keep doing this until all the chicken stock is gone and soaked up by the rice. This should take about 18-20 minutes on medium heat.

While the rice is cooking, gently brown the quail in another hot skillet with a little olive oil, about 30 second each side. Place the quail and mushrooms on an oven broiler rack and place in the oven about 10 minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the quail and mushrooms inside until the rice is done.

When the rice is done, stir in the cilantro, lime juice and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt, to taste.

To plate, start with the risotto, then the mushroom, inside up to look like a nest, then the bird.

This is a challenging recipe, but not so difficult that you can’t do it! Keep it simple by using chicken and long grain rice, if you must.