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
Method
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.
