Warm Salad With Crisped Spinach And Quail

Ingredients

The sauce:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 drops Tabasco sauce

The quail:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Breasts from 4 quails
• Kosher salt to taste
• 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

The spinach:

• 1 quart of peanut oil, for deep frying
• ¾ pound fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and dried well
• Kosher salt to taste

The salad:

• 4 cups mesclun
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    694 calories; 64 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 25 grams protein; 103 milligrams cholesterol; 950 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. To make the sauce, place the olive oil, cream, vinegar, garlic, salt and Tabasco in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil, lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
2. To make the quail, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the quail and saute about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet, season with salt, set aside and keep warm.
3. To make the spinach, heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 350 degrees. Carefully add the spinach (the grease will splatter) and fry until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
4. To assemble the salads, divide the mesclun among 4 plates. Top with the quail and sprinkle with the basil. Spoon the sauce over it all and garnish with the fried spinach and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

15 minutes