quail and rice soup

I was reading recipes today and came across a rabbit recipe that sounded interesting.  I was thinking what the artisan butcher that lives much too close to the house for our food budget might have, knowing there would not be rabbit (there was no rabbit in the freezer either!).  Usually, they have duck.  

I got into something this weekend that upset my stomach.  As much as I act and wish I had a cast iron stomach, I really do not.  I have been eating a lot of soup.  I was going to take the rabbit recipe that I had seen, use duck instead, and make it into a soup.  But when I got to the butcher, there was no duck!

There was quail.  My Beloved does not eat chicken that he does not raise himself or has a personal relationship with the person who raised the chicken.  That means that chicken was not an option.  That is why I decided to go with the quail.  I am just enough out of it that I should have written my thoughts down because I was thinking about using mushrooms like the original rabbit recipe.  It was probably a good thing I did not because the Tall Short Person had enough problems with the quail torsos, who know how she would have felt about mushrooms too! 

This soup turned out well.  It is actually the most heavy soup I have eaten in two days but I really liked it.  There were hot orange rolls for afters too.  It all felt pretty decadent!

Quail and rice soup

4 quail

1/4 pound pancetta, chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1 to 2 teaspoons to salt or to taste

1 two finger pinch dried thyme

1 two finger pinch dried oregano

2 two finger pinch dried basil

1 glass white wine, like a reisling or a dry moscato dolce (what I had)

1 glass (the same as the wine) brown basamiti rice

2 cups vegetable broth

6 to 8 cups water

In a large stockpot, over medium high heat, brown the pancetta.  Add the onion and let get golden.

Add the quail.  Brown on both sides.  Add the garlic for a few minutes.  Some color is nice.  Add the salt, thyme, oregano, and basil.  Add the wine and bring to boil.  Mix in the brown rice.  Cook a few minutes to absorb the wine.  Add the vegetable broth and enough water to fill the pot.  

Cover and let cook one hour.

Taste for seasonings and serve.

I really enjoyed this. 

Maybe someday I will actually get to try that original rabbit recipe though.  Not even a soup.