Quail Stew Recipes

PHEASANT STEW

Steps:

• Marinate the pheasant in wine, bay leaves, and thyme for a day or two in the refrigerator.
• When you're ready to cook, cook the bacon over low heat in a heavy, oven-proof pot, ideally a brazier or a Dutch oven. When it's crispy, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat up to medium.
• Pat the pheasant pieces dry and brown them in the bacon fat. Take your time, and do this slowly but surely. It could take 15 minutes. Remove pheasant pieces to a bowl as they brown.
• Brown the onion and mushrooms. Once they're just turning color, add the carrots and garlic. Cook another 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir to combine. Cook this, stirring often, until the raw-flour taste cooks away, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in the brandy, and stir it in to incorporate. The stew will become very thick. Add the wine from the marinade, and stir that in, too. Return the pheasant to the pot, along with any juices that accumulated. If you need it, add enough broth to cover everything by an inch or so. Stir in the herbs and add salt to taste.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for at least 90 minutes, then start checking to see if the leg/thighs are tender. You want them almost to the point of falling off the bone.
• When the meat is tender, remove it, along with the mushrooms and onions, and put them in a bowl. Put foil over them to keep them warm.
• Turn heat up to high in the pot. Boil down the liquid by half or until it thickens to the point of being a sauce or loose gravy. I like to put everything through a food mill's medium plate for a smooth and silky sauce, but that's not strictly necessary. You could strain it to get the loose bits out if you wanted.
• Return the vegetables and meat to the sauce and serve at once.

GEORGIA QUAIL IN GRAVY

Steps:

• Sprinkle quail with salt and pepper.
• Brown quail on both sides in butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water; add to skillet.
• Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender.
• Remove quail from skillet and set aside.
• Measure pan drippings; add water, if necessary to measure one cup.
• Combine flour and 2 Tbsp water; gradually add pan drippings.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
• Return quail to skillet; heat thoroughly.
• Remove quail to a serving platter, and serve with gravy.