Grilled quail breast with grilled Little Gem lettuce and sesame dressing

Door Chef On A Mission · Video 1:16

We’re going to prepare quail in the style of yakitori and serve it with grilled Little Gem lettuce and a sesame dressing. We’ll be grilling it on a konro grill over binchotan charcoal, which gives it a delicious flavour and a lovely caramelisation. The quail is marinated in a classic combination of soya sauce, mirin and sake. I’ll serve it with grilled Little Gem lettuce and a creamy sesame dressing. Simple, pure and full of flavour.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the quail

• 8 quail breasts
• 100 ml Japanese soya sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 100 ml sake

For the grilled little gems

• 2 little gems
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

For the sesame dressing

• 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp tahini or Japanese sesame paste
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp dashi
• 1 tsp light soya sauce

For the finishing touches

• 1 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
• a handful of katsuobushi, if desired

Preparation

1. Mix the soya sauce, mirin and sake in a bowl.
2. Add the quail breasts and leave them to marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the sesame dressing until you have a smooth sauce. If the dressing is too thick, add a little more dashi or water.
4. Light the Konro barbecue and ensure there is an even layer of glowing charcoal.
5. Cut the little gems in half lengthways and brush the cut surfaces lightly with oil.
6. Remove the quail breasts from the marinade and pat them dry gently.
7. Grill the quail breasts for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on their size. The outside should caramelise nicely whilst the meat inside remains juicy.
8. At the same time, grill the little gems for about 1 minute on each side until clear grill marks appear and the lettuce just begins to wilt.
9. Divide the little gems between four plates and spoon some of the sesame dressing over them.
10. Add the quail breasts and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
11. If you like, finish it off with a little katsuobushi for extra umami.

Chef’s tip

Set aside some of the marinade and reduce it for a few minutes until it becomes a slightly syrupy sauce. Brush the quail breasts with this reduction during the final minute of grilling. This will give them a glossy, lightly caramelised glaze, similar to that often seen on Japanese yakitori.