Fragrant Crispy Quail Recipes

FRAGRANT CRISPY QUAIL

Steps:

• Rinse the quail and pat dry with paper towels. Check for pin feathers and pluck any you find.
• To make the marinade, select a large, shallow bowl or deep plate that fits in your steamer tray. Add the salt, ginger juice, and wine and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the quail and use your fingers to coat each bird well with the marinade. Then, spoon the marinade into their cavities and rub it in with your fingers. Fold back each wing so that the wing tip is behind the neck, as if the quail is relaxing. Arrange the quail so that there is minimal overlap, to ensure even cooking. Put the bowl in the steamer tray and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the steamer tray, cover, and steam the quail for 9 to 11 minutes, or until there is no visible sign of pink rawness at the breast end. (Because the final frying is brief, the quail should be cooked through at this point. However, be careful not to steam away their juiciness.) While the quail steam, place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
• When the quail are ready, transfer them to the rack, angling them as if they are reclining or standing, so the liquid in the cavities drains out. When cool enough to handle, blot dry with paper towels, removing any bits of residue from the skin.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and soy sauce. Using your fingers, coat each quail evenly with the mixture. Place the quail on a plate. Wash and dry the rack and return it to the baking sheet.
• Put 1/4 cup of the cornstarch in a zip-top plastic bag. Standing near the sink, put a quail into the bag and shake a few times to dust lightly. Remove the quail and pat it between your hands over the sink to remove excess cornstarch. Put the quail, breast side up, on the rack. Repeat with the remaining quail, adding the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch to the bag as needed. Set the quail aside for about 3 hours. As the quail sit, they will dry and absorb the cornstarch. They are ready to fry when most of the powdery white coating has turned light brown. Just before frying, give each quail a quick pat to remove any excess cornstarch.
• Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a wok or 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. (If you don't have a thermometer, stand a dry bamboo chopstick in the oil; if small bubbles immediately gather on the surface around the chopstick, the oil is ready.)
• Because the quail brown quickly, you need to use a two-hands, two-utensils frying technique. With a skimmer in one hand and a large spoon in the other, lower a quail into the hot oil. Then immediately spoon the hot oil over the quail so that it fries to a nice, even brown. This only takes 30 to 45 seconds. To make sure the quail is browning evenly, occasionally use both utensils to lift and dip or rotate it in the oil. Because the color deepens slightly once the quail is out of the pan, pull it from the oil when it is just shy of a rich brown. Balance it between the skimmer and spoon as you lift it out, letting any excess oil drip back into the pan, and then return the quail to the rack. Repeat with the remaining quail. Once all the quail are fried, use a paper towel to blot away any clinging oil.
• To serve, cut each quail in half along the breastbone and place on a large platter. Take to the table and start nibbling.
• Notes
• These quail may be reheated in a preheated 350°F oven or toaster oven. Halve them first and put them cut side down to reheat. They are ready when you can hear them gently sizzling, usually about 10 minutes.
• You may also serve these quail with Salt, Pepper, and Lime Dipping Sauce (page 311); omit the chiles if desired.

GRANDMA'S QUAIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat the shortening in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
• Season the quail with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Place the flour in a shallow dish; roll the quail in the flour.
• Working in batches, brown the quail on all sides in the preheated shortening. Place the browned quail in a large roasting pan or casserole dish; pour the water over the quail and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), taken in the thickest part of the thigh. Spoon the sour cream over the quails, allow the sour cream to melt before serving.

PAN-COOKED QUAIL, VIETNAMESE-STYLE

Steps:

• Cut along each side of breastbone of each bird, then straight down through where thigh meets body to get 2 semi-boneless halves from each bird. (Don't worry if skin holding thigh and drumstick together separates.) Combine other ingredients except oil, herb and lime wedges and marinate for at least an hour, or overnight in a refrigerator, if you have time.
• Drain quail of marinade and strain and reserve marinade. Pat birds dry. If you have a skillet large enough to hold quail in one layer, put oil in it; if not, put 2 tablespoons of oil in each of two skillets. Turn heat to high and, when oil is hot, sauté quail, skin-side down, until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown other side for 2 or 3 minutes, or until quail are cooked through. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
• Lower heat and remove any excess fat from skillet (there may not be any). Add strained marinade, along with 1/4 cup water, and raise heat to high. Cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Spoon over quail and serve immediately, garnished, if you like, with herbs and lime.

COUNTRY FRIED QUAIL

Steps:

• Spread the quail open and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the 1/4 c flour, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.
• Dredge the quail in the seasoned flour.
• Pour oil to 1/4" depth in the skillet and heat.
• Add the floured quail to the oil when it's hot and brown on both sides.
• Remove the quail from the skillet.
• Combine the 3 T flour, 1 c water (or milk and water), and 1/2 t salt.
• Add to the drippings in the skillet and stir to combine.
• Add the quail back in the skillet.
• Add enough water to come halfway up the quail.
• Cover and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer for 30 minutes or until the quail is done and the gravy has thickened.

BAKED QUAIL

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 325-degrees F.
• If the quail have been shot in the wild, inspect them all for lead shot, removing any shot with tweezers or the point of a paring knife.
• Lightly rub all the quail, inside and out with the seasoned salt.
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms, bread crumbs, and table salt until the mushrooms tenderize a bit. Stuff the quail with this mixture.
• Using the same skillet, make a roux by pouring in the olive oil and browning the flour in it. Then, add the chicken stock, scallions, red pepper, and parsley to the roux and saute the mix for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender.
• Next, spray a baking pan or large casserole dish with cooking spray and place the stuffed quail in it. Pour the sauce over the quail.
• Baked, uncovered, at 325-degrees F. for 45 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times during the baking process.
• Serve two quail to a person and garnish each plate with two orange slices. Serve cooked white rice as a side dish.