Quail Confit
Quail Confit is a classic French dish where whole quail is slowly cooked and preserved in its own fat, typically with herbs like thyme and garlic. Originating from the Gascony region of southwest France, it's a traditional method of preserving game birds that results in incredibly tender, flavorful meat.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is high in fat and protein, with virtually no carbohydrates, providing a rich source of energy and essential amino acids. A typical serving of about 150g of meat contains roughly 400-500 calories, with the majority coming from the flavorful duck or goose fat used in the confit process.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 420 kcal |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Carbs | 2 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
| Potassium | 320 mg |
| Phosphorus | 280 mg |
| Iron | 4.5 mg |
| Zinc | 3.2 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 8.5 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.8 µg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg |
| Selenium | 22 µg |
Per 1 serving (150 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, confit is a centuries-old preservation technique that predates refrigeration, showcasing how French cuisine transformed practical necessity into gourmet art. Nutritionally, while high in fat, the slow-cooking process makes the meat exceptionally digestible and helps render out some of the fat, making it a surprisingly lean protein source once the cooking fat is drained.
