Fig-and-Balsamic-Glazed Quail

Call ahead to make sure your butcher has quail available. To make a delicious alternative to quail, use Cornish chickens and follow our instructions in the "Try this Twist!" section below.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Leave half of the fig mixture; cover and refrigerate. Allow the remaining fig mixture to infuse at room temperature.Tie the ends of the quail legs with twine.Place the quails on a jelly roll tin lined with aluminum foil or in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with salt.Bake at 450 ° C for 10 minutes. Brush the quails liberally with a mixture of figs at room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake the quail for 30 minutes or until the leg meat is no longer pink, drizzling the fig mixture every 10 minutes.Transfer the cooled fig mixture to a small saucepan; pour in the red wine and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until completely warmed through. Serve the quail with the sauce.Note: To prepare in advance, prepare according to the step-by-step recipe, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before proceeding to steps 4 and 5.TRY THIS TWIST!Cornish chicken in fig and balsamic glaze: Replace the quails with 4 Cornish chickens (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds). Prepare step 1 as directed; skip this step, rinse the chicken with cold water, and pat dry. Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Cut the chicken lengthwise with kitchen scissors to make 2 halves. Continue cooking as indicated in steps 3-5, increasing the time of the second casserole (at 400 °) to 45 minutes. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes before serving. Cooking time: 20 min.; Total cooking time: 1 hour 40 min.