Fried Quail
By Paula Deen
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Difficulty: Medium
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 dressed quail
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- cayenne, to taste
- 2-3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
- Peanut oil, for frying
Directions
Season the quail with the herbs and spices (except the salt), then move to a resealable bag. Pour in buttermilk, seal bag tightly, and shake to coat. Let sit for at least one hour.
When you’re ready to fry the quail, heat the oil in a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat. You need enough oil to almost completely cover the quail.
Meanwhile, remove the quail from the buttermilk, and let drain (do not shake off the buttermilk!). Combine the flour and salt and then dredge quail in the flour mixture. For extra crispy quail, dredge the quail in the flour a second time.
Once the oil reaches 325˚F, fry in batches for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
When quails are browned and cooked to temperature, drain excess oil on a paper bag. Sprinkle lightly with salt, as needed.