Quail with caramelised onions and brandy

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a starter

• 4 quails
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 0 pepper
• 125g brandy
• 4 large slices firm white bread
• 0 Whole bream baked

Step 1
The onions take a long time to caramelise, and are delicious with added brandy.

Step 2
Serve the quails on fried or toasted sliced bread that will soak up the sauce.

Step 3
You will need to pick up the birds with your fingers when you eat, so provide finger bowls.

Step 4
Pull off any remaining feathers or singe them off over a flame, then rinse the quails and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

Step 5
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy frying pan or casserole and add the onions.

Step 6
Cover and cook slowly over a very low heat for about 30 minutes until they are very soft and beginning to colour, stirring often.

Step 7
Push the onions to one side, put the quails into the pan and season with salt and pepper.

Step 8
Turn up the heat to medium.

Step 9
Keep turning the quails to brown them all over – around 7 or 8 minutes – and stir the onions so that they brown evenly.

Step 10
Add the brandy and cook, covered, over a low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until the onions are caramelised and the quails are done.

Step 11
Pull the leg of one of the quails – if it moves easily they are cooked.

Step 12
They should still be a little pink.

Step 13
They bury the fish in damp salt crystals inside wooden boxes and take them to be cooked in the local bread oven.

Step 14
Ask the fishmonger to gut the fish through a small incision, so that the salt does not get inside, and to keep the scales on – this is very important.