Quail, Sage, and Mushroom Pizza

Go back to all recipes

Visit : Visit authors website

Prep Time: 3 hours - Cook Time: 8 min

The wife and I do a fair amount of cooking at home, so it's not unusual that I'd get her something for the kitchen as a gift. Last Christmas, I got her a small outdoor pizza oven ... and we've been using the fire out of it. Coincidentally, she was working as a nurse at the time but now works for a local pizza shop. While she likes to cook the traditional Margherita Pizza, which consists of Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, Olive Oil, and Tomatoes, I want to experiment a little. The next few recipes I post will be a few of my experiments. I thought they all turned out pretty good, but this Quail, Sage, and Mushroom Pizza is my favorite. Not just my favorite from this batch of pizzas, but one of my all-time favorites.

The pizza oven we have allows us to cook small, 12-inch pizzas, which are big enough for one person to eat, but if you're willing, it's enough to share. Usually, we'll cook several different ones, then try slices from all of them. With this one, though, I pretty much ate the whole thing by myself, although Tami did get a small bite. Our pizza oven has a gas option, but we just fill ours with lump charcoal and wait for it to get hot, which usually takes about 30 minutes. The temperature needs to be around 450 to 500 degrees. You could also cook these in a conventional oven using a pizza stone. We've even cooked some on the outside grill. The recipes I'm posting here will be for these small, personal-sized pizzas, if you want to make bigger pizzas, you might need to double the recipe or roll the dough out a little thinner, but doing so could make it a little harder to work with. The ingredients for this dough are rough estimates but should get you close. I use these measurements, then adjust the flour or water based on the consistency of the dough. My wife likes to measure everything out by weight on a scale, which would be the proper way to do it. You might need to add some flour to firm it up if it's too soft or add some water if it's too hard. It needs to be supple, but not so much that when you pick it up, it runs through your fingers like slime. It should be firm enough that when you press on it, it gives but tries to hold its shape.

In total, I made five different pizzas that I'll try to post throughout this month, hopefully, one each week ... kind of a summer of pizzas theme. I have this Quail, Sage, and Mushroom Pizza, a Buffalo Pheasant Pizza, Southwestern Chukar Pizza, Mediterranean Partridge Pizza, and then finally, a Middle Eastern Partridge Pizza.



For this pizza, instead of using a traditional tomato sauce as a base, I made a bechamel sauce. I originally had planned on adding some cheese to this sauce, but since I was making several different pizzas and wanted to use this sauce on a couple of them, all with different cheeses, I decided to keep the bechamel neutral and add my different cheeses as a topping instead. The cook time on these pizzas is only about 8 minutes if your pizza oven is hot enough. With the Quail, I just par-cooked it in a skillet with a little bacon grease. I didn't want it cooked all the way through, just enough that it could finish off in the pizza oven. I also sautéed the mushrooms in some olive oil and sprinkled them with a little kosher salt when they were done.


 

Ingredients



Garlic Infused Oil


  3 clove(s) Garlic
  1/2 cup(s) Olive Oil

Bechamel Sauce


  3 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
  3 tbsp All Purpose flour
  1 1/2 cup(s) Heavy Cream
   Freshly ground black pepper
   Kosher Salt

Pizza Dough


  1 1/2 cup(s) `00` Flour
  1/2 cup(s) Pilser Beer - Like Miller LIte or Modelo
  1 tsp Kosher Salt
  1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
  1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
  1 tbsp Optional - Sugar or Honey

Quail, Sage and Mushroom Pizza


  2 Whole Quail Breast
  2 slices Bacon
  2 Whole Mushrooms, sliced
  3 leaves Sage
   Shredded Munster Cheese
   Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
   Kosher Salt


Instructions


Garlic Infused Oil


Step #1 Slice garlic place in a bowl and cover with Olive Oil. Allow to sit a couple of hours before using. We'll use this to brush on the pizza dough before cooking, it'll give the crust some nice flavor. This will make more than enough for several pizzas. What you don't use, stick in the refrigerator to use at a later date. You can use it on more than just pizzas and it'll get better over time.





Pizza Dough


Step #1 Pour beer into measure cup and leave out, allowing to reach room temperature.



Step #2 In mixing bowl, add flour, yeast and salt. Optionally you can add in a little sugar or honey, if you like a sweeter, darker crust.



Step #3 Add dough hook to mixer and turn on, setting speed to slow. Pour in warm beer. Allow to come together on low setting for a few minutes, then turn speed up to medium. Starting out on a higher setting might sling flour everywhere. Use a spatula to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl.




Step #4 Run on medium for 5-7 minutes. Dough should be supple yet firm. If it's too firm, add a little more water or beer. If it's to loose, add a little more flour.

If you don't have a mixer, you can incorporate by hand. Turn out onto a well flour surface to knead by hand.



Step #5 Once all the ingredients are incorporated and dough is formed, drizzle with a little olive oil.



Step #6 Spray inside of bowl with cooking oil spray.



Step #7 Transfer dough to bowl.




Step #8 Cover bowl with moist towel and allow to rest for 2 hours in a warm spot, it should double in size. Turn dough out onto well-floured surface and form into round loaf like shape.



Step #9 Then cover and let sit for another 20 to 30 minutes. I like to wrap mine in plastic wrap.



Step #10 After 20 to 30 minutes, it should be ready to use.




Bechamel Sauce


Step #1 Pour 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream into measuring cup and leave out so it can reach room temperature. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, add butter. Allow butter to melt, then add flour, using a whisk to combine.



Step #2 Let the flour brown for a minute.



Step #3 Pour in Heavy Cream



Step #4 Season with salt and pepper.




Step #5 Whisk until it starts to thicken, then remove from heat.

Optionally, you could add a little shredded cheese to this sauce at this point to make it even more cheesy, but I am not doing this here because I'll be using this sauce to make a couple different pizzas with different cheeses.




Quail, Sage and Mushroom Pizza


Step #1 Add skillet to stove top, setting heat to medium high. Add strips of bacon and cook until crispy.



Step #2 Remove bacon to plate lined with paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon.




Step #3 Season quail breast with salt and pepper.



Step #4 Drain extra bacon grease from skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon.



Step #5 Add quail to hot skillet.



Step #6 Cook for a few minutes until slightly browned, then flip.




Step #7 Don't cook the quail all the way through, it'll finish off in the pizza oven. Remove the quail to plate. Allowing to cool, then shred.



Step #8 Slice and wash Mushrooms.



Step #9 In a separate skillet, add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, setting heat to medium. Add mushrooms to hot skillet, cooking for 5-8 minutes



Step #10 Once mushrooms are browned, turn off heat, and season with kosher salt then remove to plate.




Step #11 Start pizza oven, or conventional oven and allow to reach 450-500 degrees



Step #12 Punch dough down and form into roundish pizza shape, it doesn't have to be perfect.



Step #13 Cover a small baking sheet or pizza peel with corn meal, these will be the marbles that allow the pizza to slide off into pizza oven. If you're using a conventional oven instead, preheat your oven with pizza stone already in oven. Prepare your pizza the same way, before sliding it off onto hot pizza stone.



Step #14 Move the pizza dough to the pizza peel. I'm using an upside down baking sheet, covered in corn meal. It'll allow the pizza to slide right off and into the oven.




Step #15 Brush pizza crust with Garlic Infused Olive Oil



Step #16 Spoon on some of the Bechamel Sauce and spread sauce evenly with spatula



Step #17 Sprinkle with pepper.



Step #18 Grate your cheeses if it's not already shredded.




Step #19 Sprinkle on some of the shredded Munster Cheese.



Step #20 Add shredded piece of quail meat, crispy bacon bits, mushrooms. Tear sage into small pieces and spread out over pizza.



Step #21 Finally sprinkle top with a little Mozzarella cheese.



Step #22 Place in pizza oven and cook for 8 minutes, turning frequently.




Step #23 Remove from oven and allow to cool.



Step #24 Slice and enjoy!



Recipe Card

Quail, Sage, and Mushroom Pizza

View Printable Page

Prep Time: 3 hours - Cook Time: 8 min



Ingredients



Garlic Infused Oil


3 clove(s) Garlic
1/2 cup(s) Olive Oil

Bechamel Sauce


3 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
3 tbsp All Purpose flour
1 1/2 cup(s) Heavy Cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher Salt

Pizza Dough


1 1/2 cup(s) `00` Flour
1/2 cup(s) Pilser Beer - Like Miller LIte or Modelo
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Optional - Sugar or Honey

Quail, Sage and Mushroom Pizza


2 Whole Quail Breast
2 slices Bacon
2 Whole Mushrooms, sliced
3 leaves Sage
Shredded Munster Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Kosher Salt


Instructions



Garlic Infused Oil


Step #1 - Slice garlic place in a bowl and cover with Olive Oil. Allow to sit a couple of hours before using. We'll use this to brush on the pizza dough before cooking, it'll give the crust some nice flavor. This will make more than enough for several pizzas. What you don't use, stick in the refrigerator to use at a later date. You can use it on more than just pizzas and it'll get better over time.

Pizza Dough


Step #1 - Pour beer into measure cup and leave out, allowing to reach room temperature.
Step #2 - In mixing bowl, add flour, yeast and salt. Optionally you can add in a little sugar or honey, if you like a sweeter, darker crust.
Step #3 - Add dough hook to mixer and turn on, setting speed to slow. Pour in warm beer. Allow to come together on low setting for a few minutes, then turn speed up to medium. Starting out on a higher setting might sling flour everywhere. Use a spatula to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Step #4 - Run on medium for 5-7 minutes. Dough should be supple yet firm. If it's too firm, add a little more water or beer. If it's to loose, add a little more flour. If you don't have a mixer, you can incorporate by hand. Turn out onto a well flour surface to knead by hand.
Step #5 - Once all the ingredients are incorporated and dough is formed, drizzle with a little olive oil.
Step #6 - Spray inside of bowl with cooking oil spray.
Step #7 - Transfer dough to bowl.
Step #8 - Cover bowl with moist towel and allow to rest for 2 hours in a warm spot, it should double in size. Turn dough out onto well-floured surface and form into round loaf like shape.
Step #9 - Then cover and let sit for another 20 to 30 minutes. I like to wrap mine in plastic wrap.
Step #10 - After 20 to 30 minutes, it should be ready to use.

Bechamel Sauce


Step #1 - Pour 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream into measuring cup and leave out so it can reach room temperature. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, add butter. Allow butter to melt, then add flour, using a whisk to combine.
Step #2 - Let the flour brown for a minute.
Step #3 - Pour in Heavy Cream
Step #4 - Season with salt and pepper.
Step #5 - Whisk until it starts to thicken, then remove from heat. Optionally, you could add a little shredded cheese to this sauce at this point to make it even more cheesy, but I am not doing this here because I'll be using this sauce to make a couple different pizzas with different cheeses.

Quail, Sage and Mushroom Pizza


Step #1 - Add skillet to stove top, setting heat to medium high. Add strips of bacon and cook until crispy.
Step #2 - Remove bacon to plate lined with paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon.
Step #3 - Season quail breast with salt and pepper.
Step #4 - Drain extra bacon grease from skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
Step #5 - Add quail to hot skillet.
Step #6 - Cook for a few minutes until slightly browned, then flip.
Step #7 - Don't cook the quail all the way through, it'll finish off in the pizza oven. Remove the quail to plate. Allowing to cool, then shred.
Step #8 - Slice and wash Mushrooms.
Step #9 - In a separate skillet, add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, setting heat to medium. Add mushrooms to hot skillet, cooking for 5-8 minutes
Step #10 - Once mushrooms are browned, turn off heat, and season with kosher salt then remove to plate.
Step #11 - Start pizza oven, or conventional oven and allow to reach 450-500 degrees
Step #12 - Punch dough down and form into roundish pizza shape, it doesn't have to be perfect.
Step #13 - Cover a small baking sheet or pizza peel with corn meal, these will be the marbles that allow the pizza to slide off into pizza oven. If you're using a conventional oven instead, preheat your oven with pizza stone already in oven. Prepare your pizza the same way, before sliding it off onto hot pizza stone.
Step #14 - Move the pizza dough to the pizza peel. I'm using an upside down baking sheet, covered in corn meal. It'll allow the pizza to slide right off and into the oven.
Step #15 - Brush pizza crust with Garlic Infused Olive Oil
Step #16 - Spoon on some of the Bechamel Sauce and spread sauce evenly with spatula
Step #17 - Sprinkle with pepper.
Step #18 - Grate your cheeses if it's not already shredded.
Step #19 - Sprinkle on some of the shredded Munster Cheese.
Step #20 - Add shredded piece of quail meat, crispy bacon bits, mushrooms. Tear sage into small pieces and spread out over pizza.
Step #21 - Finally sprinkle top with a little Mozzarella cheese.
Step #22 - Place in pizza oven and cook for 8 minutes, turning frequently.
Step #23 - Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Step #24 - Slice and enjoy!


About the Author

Jeff Davis
Visit authors website

You may think cooking and recipes don’t have much to do with a website dedicated to hunting dogs ... but really, why do we hunt? Sure, we enjoy watching our dogs work in the field and being outdoors, but ultimately, hunting is about survival and feeding our families. We might as well try to do it well. I'm not a chef and definitely no food authority ... but I do like to eat and enjoy cooking. After searching for people willing to share their recipes on Gundog Central, without much success, I decided to try to do a few on my own, with my wife Tami's help. The recipes I share here are things I like to eat and have made here at home. I've tried to include step-by-step instructions with each meal describing exactly how I did it, but my method may not be best, if you decide to try a recipe posted here, please use whatever technique you think works best, I'm simply sharing how I did it. You'll see a lot of recipes where I've tried to make things from starch, when I could have just used store bought ingredients, simply because I wanted to learn how something was done. My goal is to continually update these recipes as I learn new things and techniques. These are my attempts at creating good, home cooked food, that I would like to eat! If I'm sharing it here, my family and I enjoyed it and I believe you will too.

 

Account Login


Email Address



-

* Recover Password
* Create a FREE account