Quail with Finadene Dipping Sauce
Photo: Christina Holmes
PUBLISHED July 22, 2025
Farm-raised quail are delicious little birds, only about 4 ounces each, but every bit of the meat is packed with flavor. They are sold whole and semiboneless; an additional benefit of buying semiboneless is that they are already spatchcocked. They’re always best opened up to lie flat, and cook fast directly over a hot fire. The dark meat of quail pairs wonderfully with finadene, a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and what are called “boonie peppers” on Guam, where this salsa-like sauce originates. Thai bird chiles are a good substitute, or use something milder to fine- tune the intensity. Finadene also makes a tasty dipping sauce for fish, shrimp, scallops, and even chicken breasts.
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