Finely chop the 6 oz (160g) mushrooms plus the stalks from the flat cap mushrooms
Mix in:
1 crushed garlic clove,
chopped fresh parsley,
snipped chives
chopped fresh tarragon.
Cook the mixture in a little butter over moderate heat for 3 minutes, stirring often.
Season well with salt, pepper and about 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
Allow to cool.
Spread it gently between the flesh and the skin, all over the breast area of the quails
Secure the flap of neck skin under each bird with a wooden toothpick.
Tie up the legs of each bird to keep it neatly shaped.
Mix together the remaining butter and crushed garlic cloves and reserve.
Select 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.
Arrange them, breast down, on a rack suspended across the roasting tin.
Pre-heat the oven 220°C; 425°F: Gas 7
Bake for 15 minutes.
Place the mushrooms in the tin, arranging them gill side up.
Dot the mushrooms with the rest of the garlic butter.
Put the rack of quails back on top of the tin
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.
Place the birds on the mushrooms and serve immediately, 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.