Bob White Kabobs with Red Bulgur Pilaf

Written by Jeff Davis

Prep Time: 1 hour - Cook Time: 1 hour

In my last recipe post, I talked about the time my family was stationed in Turkey and my experience living off-base. Eventually, housing on the nearby Air Force base did become available and we were able to move. I remember how drastically different living on base was compared to living off base. As a little kid, it seemed like a completely different world. The base was like a desert oasis, I remember it being very tropical like, with a lot of green palm trees growing everywhere. There were tons of Iguanas that would lay out, basking in the sun, along the culverts and ditches that lined the streets and I remember there being a lot of Tree Fogs. Living on base, my parents would let us walk to school, I really don't remember if we even attended school during the time we lived off-base.

When we finally got to come back to the States, it was during the Iran Hostage ordeal. We brought back a lot of Turkish souvenirs, but my prized G.I Joe action figure was MIA. One of the souvenirs my family brought back were these golden skewers that had a huge Air Force emblem on one end. To my knowledge my parents still have them. Needless to say, one of the things we discovered while living in Turkey, were kabobs. My family went through a phase where we cooked a lot of them, but eventually just stopped making them. Us kids were pretty picky eaters and I'm sure my mom got tired of trying to force us to eat our vegetables.

In honor of those non-vegetable Kabobs, we wanted as little kids, it seems like a good idea for my next recipe post. I've been telling my wife for over a year that I wanted to do these Kabobs. On the day I proposed to my wife, I took her on this huge virtually vacation, I couldn't afford the real thing, complete with a presentation and meal from the island of Cypress. Cypress sits out in the Mediterranean Sea, right off the coast of Turkey, so they share a lot of the same cuisine. One of the things I discovered while coming up for food ideas was Halloumi Cheese. What's different about Halloumi Cheese, is that it has a high melting point, which makes it perfect for grilling. It's also often served as a meat substitute.

My wife also likes to make these bacon wrapped dates, they are so freaking good. I know Quail pairs really well with bacon and fruit, so I decided to make these Bob White Quail Kabobs with Bacon, Dates and the Halloumi Cheese. I'm serving this with Red Bulgur, which is kind of like rice, only made from Wheat.

Ingredients

Turkish Seasoning Mix

2 tbsp Paprika

2 tbsp Sumac

1 tbsp Ground Cumin

1 tbsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tbsp Ground Oregano

1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cayenne

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground black pepper

Red Pepper Paste

4 Red Bell Peppers

2 Habenero Peppers

Olive Oil

2 tsp Kosher Salt

Ground black pepper

Red Bulgur Pilaf

1 cup(s) Red Bulgur

1.5 cup(s) Water

4 Sweet Red Peppers

1 Yellow Onion

3 Garlic Cloves

Roasted Red Pepper Paste

Parsley

Ground Sumac

Lemon Juice

Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Quail Kabobs

4-6 Whole Quail

1 lbs Smoked Bacon Ends & Pieces

1 package Halloumi Cheese

1 package Medjool Dates

Turkish Seasoning Mix

Skewers

Instructions

Turkish Seasoning Mix

Step #1 Measure out all the different spices in a bowl.

Step #2 Put in a small jar and give it a good shake.

Red Pepper Paste

Step #1 Wash the peppers, then place on a baking sheet.

Step #2 Set the oven to HI broil and place the peppers in the oven. Keeping a close eye on them, turning them as they start to blacken up.

Step #3 Take the peppers out of the oven once all sides have charred.

Step #4 Place the peppers on a cutting board and remove the steams with a sharp knife.

Step #5 Remove any seeds, then cut the peppers into large pieces.

Step #6 Add peppers to a small sauce pan, filled with enough water to cover them. Sprinkle in a little salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for five to six minutes, until soft.

Step #7 Allow to cool then add to a food processor.

Step #8 Pulse a few times, then add salt and pepper.

Step #9 Drizzle in a small amount of Olive oil. Then pulse on high setting a little more.

Step #10 Pour the contents back into your small sauce pan.

Step #11 Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook off some of the moisture.

Step #12 Remove from the stove, when you have a thick paste

Step #13 Pour the red pepper paste into a small jar and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Red Bulgur Pilaf

Step #1 Gather ingredients needed to make pilaf.

Step #2 Wash and dice peppers, chop onions and garlic.

Step #3 Add one tablespoon of olive oil to small sauce pan, then set heat to medium high.

Step #4 Add diced onions. Season with Salt and Pepper. Cook for five minutes.

Step #5 Add chopped sweet red peppers.

Step #6 Cook for three minutes.

Step #7 Add chopped garlic and cook for one minute

Step #8 Add Roasted Red Pepper Paste

Step #9 Add in ground sumac.

Step #10 Stirring to combine.

Step #11 Measure Red Bulgur.

Step #12 Add to measuring cup and give it a good rinse.

Step #13 Add bulgur to sauce pan.

Step #14 Add in one and half cups of water.

Step #15 Bring to a boil

Step #16 Cover and cook for 12 minutes. After cooking remove form heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.

Kabobs

Step #1 Run the skewers through each quail. I used two wooden skewers to keep the the quail from turning. Alternate between bacons ends, dates and Halloumi Cheese until your skewers are full.

Step #2 Get the grill nice and hot.

Step #3 Season the skewers generously with the Turkish seasoning mix.

Step #4 Place on grill.

Step #5 Turn quail when they start to brown on one side.

Step #6 Continue to rotate until all sides are browned.

Step #7 It should take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook through.

Step #8 Let rest ten minutes.

Recipe Card

Bob White Kabobs with Red Bulgur Pilaf

Written by Jeff Davis Visit : Visit authors website

View Printable Page

Prep Time: 1 hour - Cook Time: 1 hour