Ingredients
Dressing
Method
1.To make the dressing, combine shallot, sumac, cinnamon, sugar, pomegranate molasses and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl; season.
2.Place quail in a glass or ceramic bowl with half the dressing; toss to coat well. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
3.Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
4.Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat; cook quail, in batches, skin-side down, for 4 minutes or until golden.
5.Transfer quail, skin-side up, to an oven tray; roast 5 minutes or until breast meat is still slightly pink. Remove from heat; rest 10 minutes. Cut each quail in half along the breastbone, then in half again between legs and breasts to give four pieces.
6.Lightly brush bread on each side with remaining olive oil, place on an oven tray; bake 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool, then break into large pieces.
7.Tear radicchio leaves into large pieces. Place radicchio in a large bowl with herbs, nuts, figs, feta, pomegranate seeds, remaining dressing and quail; toss gently to combine.
8.Serve immediately with toasted bread.
The technique to split open and flatten quail so that it cooks quickly and evenly is called `butterflying’. Place quail, breast-side down, on a chopping board. Using poultry shears or kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the backbone; discard the bone. Turn over, open out and press down on the breast plate to flatten further. Tuck the wings underneath. To remove seeds from a pomegranate, cut the fruit in half crossways; hold the half, cut-side down, in the palm of your hand over a bowl, then hit the outside firmly with a wooden spoon. The seeds should fall out easily; discard any white pith that falls out with them.
Note
