Fried Quail with Cornmeal Crust and Scrambled Egg Salad

Recipe by: Frank Stitt | from Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill

Cookstr

Course: Appetizer

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Challenging

Cost: Moderate

fried-quail-with-cornmeal-crust-and-scrambled-egg-salad

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

An unlikely marriage: the old southern standby of fried quail and an innovation on a Tuscan salad introduced to me by my friend Cesare Casella of Beppe restaurant in New York.

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

for the quail:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
4 boneless quail, legs and breast separated, rinsed and patted dry
Peanut oil for frying

for the salad:

2 thick bacon slices, finely chopped
4 large eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups mixed young lettuces
3 tablespoons Sherry Vinaigrette

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne; set aside. In a medium shallow bowl, beat the egg. Add the buttermilk and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Place the quail in the buttermilk and let stand while you cook the bacon for the salad.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until semi-crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Set the pan aside.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep medium skillet over high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Remove the quail from the buttermilk and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Carefully drop the quail legs into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add the quail breasts to the hot oil and cook, turning once, just until golden, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to the paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, return the pan with the bacon drippings to the stove. Add the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring to scramble until just set. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, toss the lettuces with the sherry vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Add the scrambled eggs to the salad and toss to combine.

Divide the salad among four plates. Place the quail atop the salads and finish with a scattering of crisp bacon.

Notes

To Drink: Pinot Noir, Saintsbury Beaujolais, Morgon Breton

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information includes 1/8 teaspoon of added salt per serving, but does not include Sherry Vinaigrette. For nutritional information on Sherry Vinaigrette, please follow the link above.

Calories 608kcal (30%)

Calcium 100mg (10%)

Vitamin C 10mg (17%)

Vitamin A 257mcg RAE (9%)

Potassium 507mg

Magnesium 64mg

Protein 36g

Sugar 3g

Fiber 2g

Total Carbohydrate 28g

Cholesterol 408mg (136%)

Sodium 542mg (23%)