White Beans with Quails Recipe
by Maria Jose Sevilla
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Easy
Basques love beans. They love red beans, black beans and, to a lesser extent, white beans. There is, however, one exception. They adore the type of white haricot bean known as pocha– the name refers to the pale colour of its skin. Pochas are planted at the beginning of summer and, depending on their variety, they are harvested from late August through to the end of October. They are taken out of their pods while still tender, before they become dry.
When cooked, their characteristic texture is buttery and delicious. If you cannot find pochas, use any other type of dried white bean from the most recent season and soak them overnight. Pochas do not require soaking.
Credit: La Cocina Vasca by María José Sevilla, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£22) Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small
Ingredients for White Beans with Quails Serves: 2
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2 quails, cleaned, dressed and cut in half down the breastbone
- 500g fresh pochas beans (or use any other dried white beans, soaked overnight)
- 2–3 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil, for frying the quails
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives, to garnish
Marinade
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150ml dry white wine
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150ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1⁄2 green (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1⁄2 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 50g tomato sauce, (or make your own)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato Sauce
- 1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sugar
How to make White Beans with Quails
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl with 150 ml water. Add the quails to the bowl and submerge in the marinade until well coated. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Add a little salt. Bring to the boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender (dried beans take longer). Add more water as needed. Shake the pan instead of stirring to avoid breaking the beans as they become fragile during cooking.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, carrot, green and red (bell) peppers. When all the ingredients are tender, add the tomato sauce, stir and cook until some bubbles of oil appear on the surface. Season with salt, then set aside.
- Remove the quails from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Heat 2–3 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the quails until they take on a little colour. Transfer them to the pan with the sauce. Stir to combine all the flavours and cook for a further few minutes.
- Gently spoon the beans and their cooking liquid to the pan with the quails and sauce. Shake the pan to mix everything together. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the quails are cooked through. Divide the beans and quails between two individual bowls, then scatter over the chopped chives before serving.
© Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited 2025
How to make Tomato Sauce
- First, make the tomato sauce. Tip the canned cherry tomatoes into a food processor or blender, then blitz until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any skins or seeds.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté until it takes on a little colour. Pour the blitzed tomatoes into the pan, then stir in the salt and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and very gently cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
© Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited 2025
About the author
Maria Jose Sevilla is an award-winning Spanish food writer, broadcaster and presenter. She is an expert in traditional Hispanic food and recipes. Her BBC series 'Spain on a Plate' was pivotal to bringing a deeper understanding of classic Spanish cooking to the UK in the early 90s. Equally passionate about wine as food, Maria holds the Diploma of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She is a member of the British Guild of Food Writers and has written several cookbooks about Spain and its culinary regions.
