400 g (20–24) quail breast fillets, left whole or cut into

2 cm pieces

6–8 spring onions, white and pale-green parts only, cut into

2–3 cm pieces

¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)

¼ cup (60 ml) sake

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon rice vinegar sea salt

1 head radicchio, trimmed, leaves finely shredded

1 small stalk celery, sliced

½ small carrot, coarsely shredded

1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry non-stick frying pan over high heat for a couple of minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn, until they are golden-brown. Set aside.

2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl or jug. Place the quail fi llets in a shallow glass or ceramic bowl and pour over two-thirds of the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Reserve the last one-third of the marinade to baste the quail fi llets with as they cook. Cover with plastic fi lm and leave in the fridge to marinate for 2–4 hours.

3. Bring quail to room temperature by removing from the fridge half an hour before cooking, then thread the quail and spring onion pieces alternately onto eight skewers and set aside.

4. To make the salad, combine the neutral oil, mirin, rice vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then toss through the other ingredients.

5. Grill the skewers on a preheated chargrill over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until just cooked through. Brush some of the reserved marinade over the skewers during the fi rst couple of minutes of cooking only (to allow it time to cook).

6. Serve two skewers per person with a spoonful of salad.