Chicken Fried Quail Recipe From David Bancroft

Looking for a traditional Southern spin on a game-bird recipe that’s anything but common to most folks? Then, feast your eyes on acclaimed restaurateur, chef and Prime Cuts host Dave Bancroft’s chicken fried quail recipe with pecan streusel and honey hot sauce.

This Backyard Life recipe will let you say “farm to table” and really mean it. Once you’ve brined your quail overnight, this mouthwatering recipe is super straightforward. And, we can pretty much guarantee that your non-hunting friends’ll want to take up the sport so they can serve it in their backyards, too!

Quail Meat Facts:

Quail meat is a sweet treat that is a favorite among hunters and foodies. And, they’re perfect on the barbeque, baked, fried, or stewed. They have a good ratio of meat to bones, and given tenderness and small size, the bones are usually eaten as well, instead of being removed. Overall, they have a delicate flesh with a taste that’s similar to chicken, but more flavorful.

Quails are small birds. One quail would be an appropriate hors d’oeuvre, whereas at least two would be more appropriate for an entrée.

To make this pan fried quail recipe on the grill, prepare the bird as directed and then place in a cast-iron skillet on your heated grill. Be cautious not to overcook quail meat as it will become dry and tough. The quail is sufficiently cooked when the meat is slightly firm to the touch (similar to the feel of a cooked chicken breast) and juices run clear.

Chicken Fried Quail with Honey Hot Sauce

Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Total time

1

hour 

Start by mixing up the brine and then let the quail sit in it overnight. After that, the fried quail prep is pretty straight forward.

Chicken-Fried Quail with Honey Hot Sauce Ingredients

Brine Ingredients

• 4 whole quail

• 6 Tbsp. Salt

• 2 Tbsp. Sugar

• 2 Tbsp. Garlic powder

• 1 Gallon Water

• 3 cups Ice

• 
  Chicken-Fry Ingredients

• 1.5 cups All-purpose flour

• 1 Tsp. Baking powder

• 2 Tsp. Kosher salt

• 2 Tsp. Garlic powder

• 1 Tsp. Black pepper

• 1 Tsp. Paprika

• 1/2 Tsp. Thyme

• Pecan Streusel Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups Pecans

• 1 Cup Brown sugar

• 1/2 Cup Sugar

• 2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour

• 2 Tsp. Kosher salt

• 2 Oz. Butter

• Honey Hot Sauce Ingredients

• 1 Cup Local wildflower honey

• 2 Tbsp. Cyrstals hot sauce

Directions

• Quail brine: Dissolve all seasonings into 1 gallon of warm water, then add the 3 cups of ice to chill it. Submerge your quail in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
• To fry the quail: Remove your quail from the brine and place directly into chicken-fry mixture. Fry until golden brown, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Finish by topping your fried quail with pecan streusel and honey hot sauce.
• To make the streusel: Pulse all ingredients (except butter) in food processor until they reach a crumble form, making sure not to over mix. Remove ingredients from processor, pour into bowl, and mix butter in by hand. Bake at 350 degrees on a baking sheet for 7 minutes.

Candied butternut squash is a great recipe to replace a typical starchy potato side dish . This recipe is cooked backyard style in a Dutch oven on the grill.

Smoked Creamed Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes are another great side dish for this quail recipe. The homemade creamed spinach that picks up the mesquite wood smoke flavor together with the warm soft tomatoes is really a great pairing. 

Finally, if you are looking for more interesting quail recipes, check out ToTable.com, They are a great resource for home-chefs to source recipes and ingredients for hard-to-find foods.

More Game Bird Recipes:

• Grilled Wild-Duck Skewers Recipe
• Deep-Fried Cajun Turkey Nugget Recipe
• Easy 3-Ingredient Smoked Turkey Recipe