Quails are lovely wee birds, russet and gay. When not twittering about and bumping into things they lay delicious and rather generously bite-sized eggs. Then, once they’ve inevitably met their maker, their meat is tender and juicy and just a little gamey. Do not be fooled by their size into thinking they just need showing the oven – they need a fair bit of cooking and can withstand it without drying out. Nor should you be fooled into thinking one bird per person is enough. It isn’t, or at least isn’t as a main course.

Serves 2
4 quails
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp runny honey
A garlic clove, pasted
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the salad
1 head gem lettuce, washed
Half a red onion, peeled and finely sliced
A small handful of pine nuts/flaked almonds
An orange, peeled and segmented
A stick of celery, trimmed and chopped

For the dressing
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
A good slosh of olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

***

– Mix the lemon juice, garlic, honey, olive oil and seasoning and spread over the birds. Leave for as long as you can/like. Preheat the oven to 220C. Roast the quails for 20-25 minutes until golden and sticky.

– Meanwhile make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients and having a taste. Put the pine nuts on a baking tray and bake in oven for 2 minutes.

– When the birds are cooked, rest them for 5-10 minutes then remove the legs and breasts. Toss the whole lot on a plate with as little or as much fuss as you like and get stuck in.