Roast Quail

Put a stalk of rosemary in each of the quails. Smear a little olive oil over each bird and season well with salt and pepper. Take the rind off the pancetta and cut into chunky lardons. Transfer the quails and pancetta to a roasting dish and cover with foil.

Roast the quails in a hot oven around 425°F/210°C for 15 minutes, take off the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Use a skewer to check that the birds are done and cook for a further 5 minutes or so if need be  Picture  . Recover the birds with foil and keep warm.

Meanwhile prepare the fennel  Recipe   up until the point they need to go in the oven. Pod the broad beans and simmer in salted water for five minutes or so, drain in a colinder and allow to cool. Top and tail the leeks and remove the outer coarse leaves, and cut into slices about a quarter of an inch or so thick. When the broad beans are cool, peel each one unless they are very small  Picture  .

Put the leeks into a thick bottomed sauce pan along with a couple of tablespoonfuls of butter, and saute for five minutes or so until they are tender. Stir in the peeled broad beans and season well with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice  Picture  . Put the fennel into a hot oven to finish off.

When everything is ready, put a layer of broad beans/leeks on to serving dishes, lay on top a quail and some lardons, add some fennel on the side and serve  Zoom  .