doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cooking Quail

You folks are all invited to my place to cook.

Their food does make a dif. In the wild they eat bugs, mostly.

If you are skinning the birds & not plucking, a fool proof way to keep them moist & tender and still tasting like quail is to cut a fairly thick slice, 3/8"~1/2" of a sweet onion, like a Texas 1015, or Noonday or one of the GA variety. You can also use a regular white [stronger] or yellow [neutral, but mellow] onion, if you can't source a sweet variety. Place it on top of the bird breast up and put the whole in a 'Texas wrap' [aluminum foil] and then put it on the grill at a temp just north of 275 F, but not to exceed 350 for 45 minutes. Birds will be melt in your mouth tender and you can season them w/salt & pepper to taste once on the plate. The onion may be set aside or eaten [my preference], it will be cooked through and impart zero taste to the quail. This is a 'quick & dirty' method that is bullet proof.

Jan Carlos's methods & suggestions does the quarry much more justice, but it requires some finesse in the kitchen getting there.

Don't scoff at this until you have done it. Makes for some great tasting quail that taste exactly like ... quail.

This lady can cook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdvtGs5opc

I got this method from Martha Stewart who used it to cook turkeys (are you reading this jOe?). I use it on pheasants but it'll work for quail or any bird that might cook too dry. I wrap the bird in butter-soaked cheese cloth and bake it breast down so the breast stays in the juices and butter that runs to the pan bottom. I vary the spices, the above just helps to keep it moist.
Steve

This is my favorite too. Tastes great with any upland game bird really. I like to fry with large chunks of onion and mushrooms left whole or cut in half. De-glazing afterwards with port and cream sounds fantastic also!

Our wild quail recipe: I filet the meat off the breast. My wife rolls them in egg batter and deep fries them to somewhere between around medium rare. The usual cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots. Back when it was easier to stay trim she also made and served the world's best pecan pie for dessert.



Best,

Mike

All of this sounds great.

Another angle - if you're concerned about the bird drying out, pluck them then make some compound butter (butter, softened but not melted, with chopped/crushed herbs mixed into it) and slip a knob under the skin, then work it around evenly, particularly under the breast skin. I usually use fines herbes - parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon - in just about anything poultry or egg related. You can also use thyme or, as Phyllis did upthread, use herbes de Provence, similar to fines herbes but with the addition of rosemary and lavender.

Serving on fried bread or toast is a classic method, not just for quail but also woodcock and other small gamebirds. Soaks up the juice so it doesn't get lost.

Also, if you have some dried mushrooms, you can grind them in a mortar and pestle to a flour and add a touch to the cream sauce where they will help thicken and flavor it. Just a dab - the drying intensifies the mushroom flavor.

Split several anaheim peppers and clean them out. Stuff with quail breast pieces and vidalia or bermuda onion chunks. Wrap with bacon.



Grill on all sides until bacon is crispy. Yum!

Fried.....lightly breaded.....mashed potatoes.......quail gravy (pan drippings, a bit of flour, pepper and milk)......doesn't get any better

I can't argue with any of the recipes offered by the forum. Think I'll thaw out some birds for tomorrow night...Geo