Butchering and Recipes
Butchering
Use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. If you don't care about the skin then cut off the head, let the blood drain out, clip the wings and work your finger into the wing hole between the flesh and the skin. With a little effort it will peel right off for you. The first few times are a hassle, but with practice you can usually peel it all off in one piece.
Once you have the skin off, cut a small hole beneath the breastbone with the scissors and pull out the innards.
If you do want the skin saved, you can either dry pluck or boil the quail for ten seconds - be careful not to overboil. Plucking is pretty easy, which is a blessing and a bane: the feathers come out fine but the skin is delicate and tears.
Immediately put the meat in the fridge to cool. The meat will age better and become more tender if allowed to be in the freezer for a few days. Quail will keep for up to nine months in the freezer without any noticable change in taste and texture.
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Bacon Baked Quail Grilled Buttermilk Quail Grilled Quail in Red Wine Blackberry Sauce Pareja de Codornices (Pair of Quail) Quail Stroganoff Restaurant 21's Quail Salad |
Recipes
These are recipes that have been recommended to me or ones that I have found that I have either tried or would like to try. Credit has been given when possible. If you notice a recipe here does not have credit given where it is due then please send me an email with the correct information so it can be changed.
If you have a recipe for quail you enjoy that isn't listed here that you would like to share then send it in an email and it will be posted up as soon as possible.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 whole quail
1 diced onion
1 cup flour
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water
4 slices of bacon
In a frying pan, heat about two inches of oil.
Cut each quail in half down the middle and wrap in a piece of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick, then dredge the quail in flour and fry in the oil until it is light brown.
Drain on a paper towel and place in a casserole dish. Toss in the oion, bell pepper and seasonings. Mix the soup with the water and pour it over the quail.
Cover and bake at 350 F for about an hour or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork. When it is, take the cover off and bake it for ten more minutes before removing it from the oven.
Best served over rice or mashed potates.
Fried Quail with Spicy Salt Back to Top
This recipe is located in the cookbook A Little Taste of China.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Salt and Pepper Mix
4 tsp salt2 tsp crushed szechuan peppercorns
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
Quail
4 whole quail1 tsp sugar
1 Tb light soy sauce
1 Tb rice wine
2-3 Tb all purpose flour
lemon wedge
Combine all of the salt and pepper mix ingredients in a pan and dry fry over a low heat for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic.
Split each quail in half down the middle and clean well. Marinate them in a teaspoon of the salt and pepper mix, the sugar, soy and rice wine for 2-3 hours, turning frequently.
One done, coat each quail piece in flour, dusting off the excess. Fill a wok to 1/4 full with oil and eat the oil to 375 F. Fry the quail for 2-3 minutes on each side, then set them aside to drain.
Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
Grilled Buttermilk Quail Back to Top
Serves: 4 Ingredients Mix the black pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika and salt together and rub down each of the quail. Place the quail and any leftover seasoning into the buttermilk to marinate for 30 minutes. Halfway through flip the quail to make sure both sides are soak evenly. Cook the rice during the last few minutes of marinating the quail. Dump the quail in a strainer and drain well before placing the quail on the grill. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side. Serve over a bed of rice. Grilled Quail in Red Wine Blackberry Sauce Back to Top
This recipe is from Southern Living magazine. Serves: 4 Ingredients Rince the quail and pat dry before placing them in a shallow dish and pouring on the Italian dressing. Cover the dish and marinate in the fridge for eight hours, turning occasionally to marinate evenly on both sides. In a small saucepan, cook the wine over medium heat for about five minutes or until it has evaporated down to half of what it was. Stir in the blackberry spread until smooth and sed 3/4 cup aside for serving. Remove the quail from the marinate and grill them over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning one time and frequently basting with the remaining blackberry sauce. When finished, drizzle the quail with the reserved 3/4 cup of blackberry sauce and serve. Pareja de Codornices (Pair of Quail) Back to Top
In between Reynosa and Nueva Laredo, Mexico, there is a small restaurant that overlooks a lakeside campsite. This is a version of the quail served there. Serves: 4 Ingredients Marinade For the marinade, mix the olive oil, garlic and ancho chile powder in a glass bowl. Add the quail, cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, though overnight is preferred. In a small saucepan, blend the honey, salt and cinnamon together and heat to boiling. Place one jalapeno in the cavity of each quail and fold legs over the other half. Coat the quail with the honey/cinnamon mixture and wrap with one bacon strip. Pin it together with a toothpick that has been oaked in water so it will not burn when roasted. Roast over a mesquite charcoal fire for about four minutes. Flip the quai and cook on the other side for about two minutes, or until cooked to medium rare. This recipe was taken from Southern Living magazine. Serves: 4 Ingredients Put the quail in a lightly greased 13x9" baking dish. In a skillet, melt the butter over a medium heat and add in the onions and mushrooms. Saute until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the whine, cream of mushroom soup, oregano, rosemary and pepper, stirring to combine them all, then pour this mixture over the quail. Bake in a covered dish at 350 F for 45 minutes. Once done, remove the quail with tongs and stir the sour cream into the mixture, then return the quail to the dish. Cook uncovered for another ten minutes. Serve over egg noodles. Restaurant 21's Quail Salad Back to Top This recipe comes from Restaurant 21 in New York City and was published in Gourmet magazine. Serves: 4
Ingredients Marinade Dressing In a bowl or baking dish, stir together the marinade ingredients until combined. Add the quail, turning to coat it entirely. Marinate the quail, covered and chilled, for at least three hours (it can be left overnight). Flip the quail occasionally. Make the dressing in a bowl by whisking together the vinegar and mustard. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Add orange sections, mango and pepitas. Chill the dressing, covered, for about three hours to blend the flavors. Grill the quail in batches on an oiled rack set five to six inches over glowing coals for five minutes on each side, or until the juices run clear when the fleshy part of a thigh is pierced. (You can also cook quail in batches in a cast-iron skillet over moderate heat, turning frequently to avoid burning for about ten minutes.) Let the quail stand for three minutes. Toss mesclun with dressing and divide among four plates. Top each salad with two quail.
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 cups rice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) bottle of Italian dressing
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (9.5oz) jar of seedless blackberry spread
8 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup honey
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cinnamon
8 slices of semi-cooked bacon
1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
3 oz dried ancho chile powder
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 Tb butter or margerine
1 chopped medium onion
1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
hot cooked egg noodles
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 lemon, quartered
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons molasses
2 dried small chilies (each about 1 inch long) or 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 quail (try boneless)
3 tablespoons tarragon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 navel oranges, peel and pith cut away and sections cut free from membranes
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup pepitas, toasted lightly (hulled green pumpkin seeds)
2 cups packed mesclun, washed and spun dry (mixed baby greens)