Grilled quails with spiced carrot salad

To flatten the birds, cut along either side of the back bone with scissors. Discard the backbone, then place birds on a board breast-side up and press down firmly on the breast with the palm of your hand. Use your fingers to gently pull away the rib cage and breast plate, then place birds in a bowl.

Remove the rind from the lemons using a vegetable peeler. Add the peel to the birds and set fruit aside. Roast the juniper berries in a moderate 170C oven for 5 minutes, allow to cool a little then crush with the flat part of a knife. Add berries to birds. Add thyme leaves, discarding stems. Add garlic and olive oil, then mix well with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and, if possible, refrigerate for a few hours. Otherwise, cook immediately.

The birds are best cooked over charcoal on a hot grill, but you can also use a gas barbecue or heavy metal grill over a gas flame. Place the quails skin-side down on a searing grill, squeeze over the juice of one lemon and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes then turn, season again and squeeze over remaining lemon. Cook for another 3 minutes, remove and allow to rest for a few minutes.

For the salad, put the carrots into a large saucepan, unpeeled and whole. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are almost cooked. Remove from the water. When the carrots are cool enough to handle but still a little warm, peel away the skin with a sharp knife and cut them into 1cm slices. Place in a bowl and add oregano, mint, lemon juice, fennel seeds, parsley, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Season with sea salt. Serve at room temperature with the quails.