Stuffed Quail with Roasted Delicata Squash and Spiced Wine Poached Pearl Onions

Ingredients

• 2 quails (if unavailable, substitute 2 game hens; double the quantities of the ingredients for game hens)
• 1/2 cup long grain rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 teaspoons olive oil (for stuffing)
• 1/4 teaspoon organic garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoons organic shallots, chopped
• 1 tablespoons white wine
• 1 tablespoons chicken stock
• 1 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 delicata squash
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil (for delicata squash)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoons water
• 5 white pearl onions
• 1 tablespoon butter, cold

Directions

1. To prepare the stuffing, rinse and pat dry poultry.
2. Put olive oil into sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Add shallots and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add shallots, white wine, stock, cranberries, pine nuts, and poultry seasoning. Lower heat to low and cook just to plump the cranberries.
6. Add the rice and combine.
7. Stuff the poultry with the mixture. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
8. Once set, add the olive oil to a heavy bottom skillet and sear the poultry, breast-side down, 2-3 minutes for quail or 4-6 minutes for game hens; they should be golden.
9. Flip over and finish in a 400 degree F oven for 5-7 minutes for quail or 10-14 minutes for game hens.
10. To prepare the delicata squash, peel and seed the squash. Cut into 1/4-inch rounds. Cut 6 rounds, 3 per person.
11. Put squash on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
12. Roast in 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.
13. To prepare the spice wine poached pearl onions, combine remaining ingredients in sauce pan.
14. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
15. Strain mixture, reserving the onions.
16. Reduce the liquid by half, remove from heat and swirl in cold butter.
17. To plate, place stuffed bird on dinner plate.
18. Fan 3 rounds of the squash next to the bird and place 5 of the poached onions around outer rim of plate.
19. Drizzle the reduced wine around onions. Serve and enjoy.