Title: Quails on mushrooms
 Categories: Poultry
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      6    Plump young quails
      6    Big flat mushrooms; plus...
      6 oz Mushrooms for the stuffing
      6 oz Butter
      3    Garlic cloves (or more)
           Lemon juice
           Parsley
           Chives
           Tarragon
 
  To make the duxelles, first chop the 6 oz mushrooms plus the stalks
  from the big flat mushrooms on which you will sit the quails.  Chop
  finely, using a knife, not a food processor.  Mix in 1 very finely
  chopped garlic clove, about 9 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 3
  tablespoons snipped chives and 1 heaped tablespoon fresh tarragon (or
  a generous 1 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon if fresh is not available).
  Cook the mixture in a little butter over moderate heat for 3 minutes
  or so, stirring often. Season well with salt, pepper and about 2
  teaspoons lemon juice.
  
  Let the duxelles cool before using it to stuff the birds.  Spread it
  gently between the flesh and the skin, all over the breast area, to
  plump up the quails prettily.  Secure the flap of neck skin under
  each bird with a wooden toothpick.  If the skin is torn, put the
  stuffing into the body cavities instead.  Tie up the legs of each
  bird to keep it neatly shaped.
  
  Make about 5 oz garlic butter and reserve it.  Choose a roasting tin
  or baking dish just large enough to take the 6 flat mushrooms side by
  side.
  
  When ready to cook, melt a nugget of the garlic butter in the
  roasting tin. Turn the birds in it to coat them with fat, then
  arrange them, breast down, on a rack suspended across the roasting
  tin.  Bake at 425 F (220 C) gas mark 7 for 15 minutes.
  
  Put the mushrooms in the tin, arranging them gill side up, and dot
  them with the rest of the garlic butter.  Put the rack of quails back
  on top of the tin and turn the birds breast side up. Position the
  birds carefully, placing each one above a mushroom so that the meat
  juices will drip on to the mushrooms during cooking.  Bake for 20
  minutes or so until the birds and mushrooms are perfectly cooked.
  
  Sit the birds on the mushrooms and serve straight away, or cover and
  keep hot at 250 F (120 C) gas mark 1/2 until ready to serve.  Rice,
  couscous or burghul, and crisp peppery watercress go well with this
  dish.