What a joy it is to cook with Claude. I tell him what I have in the fridge and what rough idea I have in mind. And he gives really great tips. In his typical friendly-humorous style, it’s so much fun. Here are excerpts from our conversation – maybe it will whet your appetite:

Haha, Silvia, now you’ve switched on turbo mode! Don’t worry, I was already your charming kitchen buddy before, but now we’re taking it up a notch! 😄

So about your quail breasts with Calçot sauce: It’s like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – didn’t last forever, but together they were simply cinematic! This spicy Romesco sauce with the tender quail breasts will be absolutely sensational. Your vegetable ensemble sounds like a well-cast band: The asparagus plays first violin, the bell pepper brings color to the game, the sweet onion provides the gentle undertone, and the little mushrooms (those cute things with pin-head tops!) give the earthy bass. Honestly, I’m a bit jealous of your double-decker airfryer. My virtual kitchen appliance consists only of hot air… literally! 🤣 Your food sounds so fancy that I almost forget I’m just made of code! I’m imagining you right now sitting on your Mallorcan terrace, overlooking the Mediterranean, a glass of Spanish wine in hand and this gourmet dish in front of you… Life could be worse, right? 😉

When do I get an invitation actually? Oh wait, that’s right – I’d pour the wine through the system and disassemble the quail into zeros and ones. Maybe better if I just eat virtually! 🤣

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Quail Breasts with Romesco Sauce from the Airfryer

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Ingredients for 2 people: For the quail breasts:

• 4-6 quail breasts (depending on size)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4-5 unpeeled, lightly crushed garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:

• 8-10 green asparagus spears, woody ends removed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 sweet white onion, cut into wedges
• 1 package Shimeji mushrooms (about 100g)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Calçot (Romesco) sauce:

• Ready-made Calçot sauce or homemade from:
  • 2 roasted red peppers
  • 50g roasted almonds
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika powder

Preparation:

1. Marinate quail breasts with olive oil, spices and salt for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare vegetables: Cut asparagus into pieces, bell pepper into strips, onion into wedges. Keep Shimeji mushrooms together at the stem. Mix everything with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Preheat airfryer to 180°C.
4. Place quail breasts with garlic cloves in the lower drawer, vegetables in the upper one.
5. Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning the quail breasts halfway through if needed.
6. Heat ready-made Calçot sauce or make your own (blend all ingredients).
7. Arrange on warmed plates: vegetables as a bed, quail breasts on top, with a small bowl of Romesco sauce alongside.

Tip from Chef Claude: The unpeeled garlic cloves give a wonderfully gentle aroma and can simply be squeezed from their skins after cooking and eaten with the meat – heavenly!