Name: Quail stuffed with napa cabbage, served with a port sauce and garlic and rosemary baby potatoes
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1 carrot; 1 strand ofcelery; 1 leek (not too big); 1/2 onion; 2 tbsp ofdouble-concentrated tomato paste; 15 cl ofred wine; 4 quails; 10 cl ofPorto; 4 pods ofgarlic; 150 g ofcooked ham; 250 g ofChinese cabbage (finely chopped); 5 strands ofparsley; 60 g ofbread; 1 bowl ofmilk; olive oil; salt and pepper; 600 g ofbaby potatoes; 1 branch ofrosemary; 6 pods ofgarlic

main courses gourmet cuisine poultry slow cooking stuffed

Updated on 23 November 2025 by

ratatouille

8 reviews 4.4 : Very good

Level

Difficult

Preparation

1 hour 30

Cooking

3 hours

It was during a cooking class that I discovered this famous recipe for quail stuffed with Chinese cabbage, braised in a port sauce, and served with small potatoes seasoned with garlic and rosemary.

I’ve made it again for special occasions since then, and it’s a treat every time.

To make this recipe a success, you’ll first need to debone each quail to create a shell ready for stuffing, and then use the carcasses for the port sauce.

This sauce is based on making a brown stock, a technique well-known to chefs, whose purpose is to capture all the meat juices. Thanks to this, the sauce is extremely flavorful without overpowering the delicate taste of the bird.

As you can see, this stuffed quail recipe is quite demanding and will require some effort and preparation time, but it will help you improve your cooking skills and impress your guests!

For

people

Add to shopping list

For the aromatic base
1 carrot
1 strand of celery
1 leek not too big
1/2 onion
2 tbsp of double-concentrated tomato paste
15 cl of red wine

For stuffed quail
4 quails
10 cl of Porto
4 pods of garlic
150 g of cooked ham
250 g of Chinese cabbage finely chopped
5 strands of parsley
60 g of bread
1 bowl of milk
olive oil
salt and pepper

For support
600 g of baby potatoes
1 branch of rosemary
6 pods of garlic

The Stuffing
- 1
  Cut the bread into small cubes and place them in a bowl.
  Cover with milk and let them soak.
- 2
  Rinse the Chinese cabbage and remove the toughest parts at the base of the leaves.
  Chop it coarsely and sauté it in olive oil in a skillet or wok. Add the finely chopped ham.
- 3
  Chop the parsley and the peeled and degermed garlic cloves, then add them to the pan.
  Season with salt and pepper, and just before serving, add the bread (which has been drained beforehand).
Quail liver
- 4
  Debone each quail, starting with the breast.
  Run the knife along the carcass to avoid cutting the skin, and be sure to cut through the tendons at the joints of the wings and legs.
- 5
  Prepare the quail stock by "searing" the carcasses in olive oil, in a large pot or a deep skillet (a pan with high sides).
  Brown them well on each side over fairly high heat; don’t be afraid to let them stick a little, but don’t let a burnt crust form at the bottom of the sauté pan, or your stock won’t taste good.
  Keep an eye on them while cooking and turn them regularly.
- 6
  Add the aromatic mixture and stir. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste and brown it for about ten minutes, along with the carcasses and vegetables. Deglaze with red wine and add one liter of water.
- 7
  Boil for an hour and a half, adding water if necessary. Strain the resulting stock through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
- 8
  You can remove grease from the bottom by placing a paper towel on the surface while it is cool.
Baking and final assembly
- 9
  Stuff the boneless quails and sew them up using wooden skewers and kitchen twine. Brown the quails on all sides in a cast-iron casserole dish, season with salt and pepper, then bake in the oven at 220°C for 25 minutes.
- 10
  Remove the excess fat from the pan, deglaze the pan juices with the port, and reduce until dry.
  Keep an eye on the cooking process and be careful not to let the reduction burn.
- 11
  Next, add the stock and reduce it until the sauce has a creamy consistency.
  Remove the skewers and string from the quails.
- 12
  Adjust the seasoning of the sauce and the baby potatoes before plating.
- 13
  Cut the potatoes in half and place them in the oven pan along with the garlic cloves (cut into quarters) and the rosemary. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes at 220°C.