| 1 | Recipe by: food and wine - dec 93 Wash the quail thouroughly inside and out, then place them in a large colander to drain for at least 20 minutes. |
| 2 | Pat the quail dry. |
| 3 | Stuff the cavity of each bird with 1 slice of pancetta and 1 sage leaf. |
| 4 | Put the butter and oil in a large heavy skillet on high heat. |
| 5 | When the fat is hot, add all the quail in a single layer and cook until browned on one side. |
| 6 | Graduall turn them and continue cooking until they are evenly browned all over. |
| 7 | Sprinkle the quail with salt and pepper, then add the white wine and turn the birds once. |
| 8 | Let the wine bubble for about 1 minute, then lower the heat to moderate and partially cover the pan. |
| 9 | Cook the quail until the meat feels very tender when poked with a fork and comes away from the bone, 45 minutes to 1 hour. |
| 10 | Check from time to time that there is sufficient juices in the pan to keep the birds from sticking; if not add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. |
| 11 | When the quail are done, transfer them to a warmed serving platter. |
| 12 | Add ?cup of water to the skillet. |
| 13 | Boil over high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any cooking residues, until the water boils away and only a few drops of dark pan juices for each bird remain. |
| 14 | Pour the juices over the quail and serve with polenta or mashed potatoes. |
