LEMON AND MINT QUAIL SALAD

Salad

12 quails, halved and trimmed

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 fresh small red birds eye chilli, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup firmly packed coriander leaves

½ cup firmly packed Vietnamese mint leaves

1 cup firmly packed mint leaves

½ cup firmly packed Thai basil leaves

1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced on the diagonal

125 gm bean sprouts

1/3 cup fried shallots, available from Asian food stores

½ cup lemon juice, plus 1 tbsp extra

Lemon and mint marinade

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp peanut oil

1½ tsp ground white pepper

2 tbsp fish sauce, plus 1 tbsp extra

For lemon and mint marinade, combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine. Place quail in a large flat glass or stainless steel container, pour over three-quarters of the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Barbecue or char-grill quail, skin-side down first, for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for another 3 minutes or until just cooked through.
Place extra lemon juice, extra fish sauce, sugar and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl and stir to combine, then stir in chilli and garlic.
Place herbs, cucumber, and beansprouts in a large bowl, add half remaining marinade and toss to combine. Serve salad topped with quail, drizzled with chilli and garlic dressing and sprinkled with fried shallots.

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