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1
To make the stuffing, warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
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2
Add the pancetta and cook to render the fat but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
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3
Add the onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme; season with the salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the onion and garlic from browning.
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4
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
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5
Transfer the stuffing to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill.
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6
To prepare the quail, rinse and pat dry with paper towels, checking for any remaining bones or feathers.
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7
Combine the onion, thyme, vinegar, honey, and pepper in a bowl or nonreactive baking dish large enough to hold all the quail.
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8
Place the quail in the marinade and turn to coat them on all sides.
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9
Cover with plastic wrap and place the quail in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
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10
Remove the quail from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and lay them on a baking sheet.
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11
One at a time, lay a quail on your work surface, open up the legs, and spoon 2 tablespoons of stuffing inside the cavity.
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12
Cross the legs to close in the stuffing.
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13
Slide the skewer through the bottom leg and then through the top leg and rotate the skewer so its perpendicular to the legs.
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14
Return the quail to the baking sheet and repeat, stuffing the remaining birds in the same way.
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15
Unravel the pancetta if its from a round slice and stack two slices of pancetta on your work surface.
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16
Lay the quail on top of the pancetta and wrap it around the quail, moving along the body of the quail to cover as much as possible.
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17
Return the quail to the baking sheet and repeat, wrapping the remaining quail in the remaining pancetta.
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18
(You can prepare the dish to this point up to a day in advance.
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19
Wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.
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20
Season with salt and pepper on both sides before grilling.)
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21
To fry the sage leaves, pour enough olive oil into a small skillet or saucepan to fill it 1 inch deep and line a small plate with paper towels.
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22
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a pinch of salt sizzles when dropped into it.
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23
Add the sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds, until crisp but not browned.
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24
Use a slotted spoon to remove the sage from the oil, transfer to the paper towels to drain, and season with salt.
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25
Strain the sage-infused oil through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it to fry sage another time or to drizzle over grilled meats or vegetables.
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26
(The sage can be fried up to several hours in advance.
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27
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature.)
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28
To prepare the radicchio, combine the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
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29
Add the radicchio leaves and soak in the marinade while you grill the quail or for up to 24 hours.
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30
Prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill or preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat.
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31
Brush the grill grates or grill pan with olive oil.
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32
Place the quail breast side down on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it is browned and the pancetta is crisp.
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33
Turn the quail, taking care to keep the pancetta intact, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side.
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34
Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, turning them often to prevent the outsides from burning, until they are cooked to medium.
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35
To check for doneness, squeeze the quail at the thickest point; if the flesh feels firm, it is done.
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36
If the quail appear to be searing too quickly, move them to a cooler part of the grill or lower the heat on the grill pan so they can cook through before the outsides burn.
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37
Remove the quail to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
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38
While the quail are resting, grill the radicchio for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is browned in places but not crisp.
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39
To serve, remove the skewers and discard.
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40
Drape two radicchio leaves in the center of each plate, overlapping them.
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41
Lay one quail on each serving of radicchio and rest the other in another direction on top of the first.
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42
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over and around each serving.
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43
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the balsamico and 1 teaspoon of the finishing-quality olive oil, and scatter the fried sage leaves over each plate.
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44
Amarone Della Valpolicella (Veneto)
