Quail served with sticky rice – a must-try dish of autumn

Vietnamese cuisine has many versions of sticky rice, like mung bean sticky rice with crispy fried shallots, chicken sticky rice, or corn sticky rice, that can be eaten all year round, but there is one that is enjoyed only in autumn – quail over sticky rice.

To prepare the dish, rice is soaked with water for at least five hours to soften, then washed and let dry before being mixed with a little salt and spices.

The cook should follow specific stages while steaming the rice, such as keeping a close watch on the fire, and the rice should be properly cooked to preserve its softness and aroma.

The cook should also add a few drops of cooking oil to make the grains soft and shiny. Some experienced cooks even steam the rice with quail to infuse it with the fat.

The most delicious quails are young ones that are about to learn to fly as their meat is softer and sweeter. After being cleaned, the meat is minced, mixed with spices and fried with onions. The cooled sticky rice is mixed with the meat and then steamed once more.

The dish is most delicious when it is eaten hot. A little fried onion, coriander and pork floss may be added to its top to enhance the taste. Diners can feel the aroma of new rice mixed with bird meat that will certainly tickle anyone’s taste buds.