Wedding Pan Fried Quail and Brown Gravy

By Libbie Summers, Senior Food Editor

Breakfast is the new black!

By now the secret is out. Paula’s menu of choice for her niece Corrie’s dinner reception was…BREAKFAST! A true autumn low-country plantation breakfast. Resplendent with Shrimp and Grits, Buttermilk Biscuits with Homemade Preserves, Poached Eggs with Spicy Hollandaise, Pumpkin Pancakes, Sliced Smithfield Aged Ham, Thick Sliced Bacon, Fresh Berries, Greek Yogurt, Homemade Granola and the star of the show…Pan Fried Quail and Brown Gravy!

Over 500 quail were cleaned, split, brined and fried on site. Paula’s neighbors said the scent of frying quail was in the air for a mile down the road. Next time you don’t know what to serve your party guests for dinner, think about a big ‘ole breakfast.

Wedding Pan Fried Quail with Grits and Brown Gravy
Serves: 4

Cooks of the past knew that a brief brining helped keep roasted and fried wild birds juicy and tender…new wives today know it doesn’t hurt a marriage either.

Ingredients:
Salt for brining
8 quail, dressed and rinsed
Rendered fat from 8 slices fried bacon
Peanut oil for frying
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon or more crumbled dried sage, optional
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup Vidalia onion, chopped
1½ cups beef stock
2 teaspoons or more Worcestershire sauce
4 cups hot cooked grits

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water and place quail into brine. Soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Drain and season well with pepper and, if liked, sage.
Preheat the oven to the warm setting, (170-200 degrees F.).
In a large cast iron skillet, add rendered bacon fat and enough peanut oil to make the fat 1” deep. Heat until shimmering, but not smoking.
Roll the quail in the flour until well-coated, shake off the excess, and slip them into the hot fat until the pan is full but not crowded.
Fry quail until the bottom is golden, about 7 to 8 minutes, turn, and fry until evenly golden brown and just cooked through, about 7 minutes longer, working in batches if necessary. Remove from pan to drain on absorbent paper. Keep warm in the oven while making gravy.
Carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat and add the onion to the pan. Sauté, stirring often, until deep gold, about 4 minutes.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Slowly stir in the broth and cook, again stirring constantly, until lightly thickened and beginning to boil.
Reduce the heat to low, season to taste with salt, pepper, sage, and Worcestershire, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Return the quail to the pan of gravy. Make sure quail is completely smothered in the gravy.
Serve the quail at once with hot grits.

Eat Something Homemade….don’t be afraid to try breakfast for dinner!
Libbie

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