Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH
Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef
Ingredients:
12 quail, split in half along the breastone, back removed
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups buttermilk
2 TBL Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 cups flour
1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (or subsitute any breadcrumbs)
2 TBL salt
2 TBL garlic powder
1 TBL pepper
Oil for frying
Instructions:
Season split quail halves with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, Tabasco and mustard and blend until smooth. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients except oil and stir. Place quail in buttermilk mixture, then flour mixture, then back to buttermilk, then into the flour mixture again. You're double-dipping your quail.
Heat oil to 360 degrees in a large, heavy pot. Using tongs, carefully place (not splash!) quail halves, 2 or 3 at a time, into the hot oil . Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
NOTES From Scott: I've had folks tell me about how they soak their quail in buttermilk or saltwater to take out the gamey flavor. If your quail is gamey, it's probably been mishandled and may not be fit to eat, buttermilk or not. When in doubt, throw it out.
I grew up in Virginia when we still had coveys of wild bobwhite quail and knew where to find them. I went to college in Tucson, Arizona, in the mid-seventies and found huge numbers of Gambel's quail. Although huntable populations of quail are harder to come by, they're still my favorite bird to hunt and eat. Please don't pack your quail around in a game bag on a hot October day. Stop by the cooler and get them on ice ASAP.
Did You Know...
The total weight of a clutch of eggs produced by some duck species can equal or exceed the female's weight. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)
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