Quail and Oyster Mushrooms Recipe

(Chim Cut Uop Voi Nam Rom)

If you do not want to spatch-cock the quails yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you. They are usually happy to do this if you ask them in advance. Coconut water is the liquid which you find sloshing around inside a coconut. You can buy it in cans in oriental shops.

Ingredients : Serves 4

2 cloves

1/4

1/2 teaspoon

1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons

250 g

125 ml

Oven ready quails

Shallot, chopped

Garlic, chopped

White pepper

Cinnamon

Five spice powder

Vietnamese fish sauce

Oyster sauce

Groundnut oil

Oyster mushrooms, torn

Coconut water

Method :

First spatch-cock the quails. Place each bird, breast side down, on a chopping board and cut through the backbone. Open out the bird and flatten it with a meat mallet.
Thread two long meat skewers across the body of each bird to hold it flat.
Put the shallots, garlic, white pepper, cinnamon, five spice powder, fish sauce and oyster sauce into a mortar and pound until well amalgamated.
Marinate the quails in the mixture overnight. Remove the skewers.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the quails with all their marinade and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add the oyster mushroom and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the coconut water and simmer, covered, on a low heat for 15 minutes.
Serve hot