In 1837, Charles Fenton Mercer Noland, Arkansas’ first outdoor writer, penned a line condensing his thoughts on the scrumptious nature of bobwhite quail.
“If I ever starve to death,” he wrote, “I hope it will be on broiled partridges.”
Noland wasn’t the first bobwhite connoisseur in Arkansas. Quail have been a conventional ingredient in Natural State cuisine since the first settlers arrived more than 300 years ago. Quail are prized for their divine, delicate flavor, which exhibits only a hint of the intense gaminess that characterizes the flesh of ducks, geese, doves and other game birds. “Food for aristocrats” quail have been called, but they are equally loved and coveted by the farm boy with a rusty, hand-me-down shotgun and the wealthy hunter using an expensive English double on his 10,000-acre quail plantation.
Because wild quail are rare treats, it’s important to give them proper care from field to table. Gut them as soon as possible, and keep the birds cool by hanging them on a length of cord or from a split leather thong attached to your belt.
Pluck or skin the quail after the hunt, using a knife or kitchen shears to remove the wing tips, the legs at the knee joints and the neck about one-half inch from the breast. If you haven’t done so already, remove the entrails after making a shallow cut just below the breastbone. You may wish to save the liver and gizzard for giblets, but they are slim pickings.
Wash the inside of each bird with cool water, and remove stray stringy things. Your bird is now ready to cook or freeze.
Dressed quail average 5 to 6 ounces each. One bird is usually considered a serving, but if you or your guests are especially fond of game dishes, two or three per person may not be too many. Almost any cooking method can be used to prepare quail, but when roasting or grilling, baste the birds often with butter or oil, for the quail is a small bird with little natural fat and becomes dry quickly. Barding with bacon or salt pork accomplishes the same thing.
Cook the birds slowly. Too much heat and limited cooking time rob the meat of flavor and don’t allow seasonings to penetrate. Quail should never be cooked at temperatures higher than 350 degrees.
To get you started, here are a few tried-and-true recipes straight from the Sutton family kitchen. Enjoy.
Country Fried Quail
Ingredients:
8 quail, split down the back
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
All-purpose flour
Cooking oil
Directions:
Spread the quail open. Sprinkle with a mixture of the seasonings; dredge in flour. Add 1 inch of cooking oil to a skillet; heat to 350 degrees. Cook the quail in hot oil for 5 minutes; cover and continue cooking until golden-brown, turning once. Drain well.
Roast Quail With Sorghum-Whiskey Glaze
Ingredients:
8 quail
Salt, pepper
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup whiskey
2 tablespoons sorghum molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
Place the quail on a baking sheet fitted with a rack. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened. Brush the glaze on each quail. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the quail are nicely browned and juices run clear. Brush the quail with the glaze twice during baking.
Braised Quail With Mushrooms and Onions
Ingredients:
8 quail
Salt, pepper
1 stick butter or margarine
Half an onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
Directions:
Season the birds with salt and pepper. Saute the onions and mushrooms in heated butter, and remove to a bowl for later use. Brown the quail; then remove from the skillet. Add flour to butter, and stir. Stir in wine and chicken broth, and return quail to the skillet, adding reserved onions and mushrooms. Cook in a 275-degree oven for one hour, turning the birds twice.
Grilled Quail
Ingredients:
8 quail
4 strips bacon
1 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Wrap each quail with half a bacon strip. Secure with toothpicks. Place in a zip-seal plastic bag, add Italian salad dressing, and seal. Marinate two to three hours, turning occasionally.
Drain off Italian dressing. Stir together soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Pour over the birds in the bag, and marinate one hour longer. Remove from the marinade, and grill over low heat until the bacon is just crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Brunch Quail
Ingredients:
8 quail
Salt, pepper, flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup water
20 fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 trenchers (see below)
Directions:
Sprinkle quail with salt, pepper and flour. Melt butter in a skillet. Add the quail, and brown on all sides. Add water and the mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add parsley; cover and cook 10 minutes longer. Serve on trenchers.
Trenchers
Cut French bread into 2-inch-thick slices, selecting bread slightly larger in size than a quail. Scoop the center from each slice to make a cup to hold the bird. Spread the bread with butter, and toast lightly.
Roast Quail With Beurre Blanc
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 quail, ready to cook
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup cold butter
Directions:
Combine the rosemary, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and vegetable oil in a nonmetallic bowl. Set aside 20 percent of the mixture. Add the quail to the remainder, and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Heat a grill, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mark the quail on the hot grill; then place in an oven-safe skillet. Pour 1 cup of the white wine over the quail, and place in the heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the quail to a plate, and allow the birds to rest while you make the sauce.
Using the skillet in which the quail was cooked, combine the reserved marinade, the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Heat, stirring often, to reduce, continuing until 80 percent of the liquid is gone. Add the cold butter to the reduction. Once this is incorporated, the sauce is complete and ready to serve over the cooked quail.
Shake ’N Bake Quail
Ingredients:
8 quail
1 cup Italian salad dressing
Shake ’N Bake for chicken
Lemon-pepper spice
Directions:
Place the quail in a zip-seal plastic bag. Cover with Italian dressing, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the birds from the marinade, and coat each bird with Shake ’N Bake. Place on a cookie sheet, and season with lemon pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until done to taste.