How do you prepare your Coturnix quail for dinner?

[Ebony Rose]

I like to lay breast halves & thighs on a tin foil lined cookie sheet, put a strip of bacon over the top just long enough to cover each piece then broil it for 7 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other side. I get moist, juicy and tender meat this way.
For a change of taste, you can coat it with A-1 sauce (twangy) or oriental hoisin sauce (sweet) when there's about 2 minutes of cooking time left.

Another option is to put one part rice and two parts water into a rice/vegetable steamer, add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like with rice. You can substitute chicken stock for the water for more flavor. You can substitute coconut milk for the water or stock for a sweet, slightly sticky rice too. I usually toss in a can of mixed vegetables (liquid and all) and however many birds I'm wanting to cook. Moist, juicy, tender and cooked in it's own side dish (rice); if you have any rice left over, and if you have seaweed wrappers (oriental grocery store), you can make fake sushi for lunch the next day using any leftover quail and some freshly grated carrot or cucumber.

 

[Nabiki]

I like to lay breast halves & thighs on a tin foil lined cookie sheet, put a strip of bacon over the top just long enough to cover each piece then broil it for 7 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other side. I get moist, juicy and tender meat this way.
For a change of taste, you can coat it with A-1 sauce (twangy) or oriental hoisin sauce (sweet) when there's about 2 minutes of cooking time left.

Another option is to put one part rice and two parts water into a rice/vegetable steamer, add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like with rice. You can substitute chicken stock for the water for more flavor. You can substitute coconut milk for the water or stock for a sweet, slightly sticky rice too. I usually toss in a can of mixed vegetables (liquid and all) and however many birds I'm wanting to cook. Moist, juicy, tender and cooked in it's own side dish (rice); if you have any rice left over, and if you have seaweed wrappers (oriental grocery store), you can make fake sushi for lunch the next day using any leftover quail and some freshly grated carrot or cucumber.

This sounds good and similar to a dish I make with chicken. I always have sushi nori on hand. Have you seen the stuff I usually cook? Here's the link in case you missed it when I posted it in another thread.

 

[Ebony Rose]

This sounds good and similar to a dish I make with chicken. I always have sushi nori on hand. Have you seen the stuff I usually cook? Here's the link in case you missed it when I posted it in another thread.

Oh YUM!

 

[Nabiki]

I put one bird in to brine in the apple cider brine this morning. I did 1/4 batch since it was only for one bird. I'm only going to cook one bird at a time until I find a recipe that I like.

 

[RUNuts]

Okay, I know this thread is old, but this seemed to be the thread with the most recipes in it. Since Snack decided to be mean, I now have three quail to cook. I cooked my first one a few weeks ago when I took care of my extra roos, and I wasn't impressed with what I turned out. It was tough and gamy tasting. I think my problem was that I cooked it like I would a chicken, but for less time (baked with a bit of butter and poultry seasoning).

I've read about brining. Does that make it more tender? @muddy75 posted this brine recipe that I was planning on trying this weekend.

4c Apple cider 1/4 c each apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, kosher salt

Any suggestions you may have would be appreciated, and as I find recipes that I like, I'll post them here.

The acid (vinegar) will marinate the meat and make it tender. I use a lot of apple cider vinegar for marinade or in stir fry.

Really, use your regular recipes. Let the meat rest (pass rigor mortis) for at least 24 hours before cooking for tender meat.

I used Italian salad dressing. It has vinegar for tenderizing and oil for coating. I'm getting away from ALL the extra sugar, so using straight apple cider vinegar with great results. Add spices to taste.

My last 2 quail roasts were as follows.
Put onions, mushrooms and pepper on the bottom of an oiled ducth oven. Put ham steak on top of veggies. Put quail on top of ham steak. Put a lid on it. Cook over low fire for 2-6 hours. I browned the ham steak the first time. No difference. I had the fire up too high on the second and the pig was a little on the chewy side.

Serve with a salad and green beans. Take the ham steak for lunch for the next week.

 

[mixedUPturk]

The acid (vinegar) will marinate the meat and make it tender. I use a lot of apple cider vinegar for marinade or in stir fry.

Really, use your regular recipes. Let the meat rest (pass rigor mortis) for at least 24 hours before cooking for tender meat.

I used Italian salad dressing. It has vinegar for tenderizing and oil for coating. I'm getting away from ALL the extra sugar, so using straight apple cider vinegar with great results. Add spices to taste.

My last 2 quail roasts were as follows.
Put onions, mushrooms and pepper on the bottom of an oiled ducth oven. Put ham steak on top of veggies. Put quail on top of ham steak. Put a lid on it. Cook over low fire for 2-6 hours. I browned the ham steak the first time. No difference. I had the fire up too high on the second and the pig was a little on the chewy side.

Serve with a salad and green beans. Take the ham steak for lunch for the next week.

Another reason to you! You can cook!

 

[mixedUPturk]

My fav is to put my birds in the crockpot. Very simple brown gravy packets and onion soup mix packets and cook 4 hours fall off the bone tender mouther watering as i think about it!

I did roasting in the over wrapped in bacon once and that was to die for!

 

[Nabiki]

I'd say this was a success. Tasty and not as tough as the last time. I'm learning.

 

[RUNuts]

I'd say this was a success. Tasty and not as tough as the last time. I'm learning.
View attachment 1928183

You are a terrible tease. Recipes required!

 

[Nabiki]

You are a terrible tease. Recipes required!

This was the brine from Muddy75 (4c Apple cider 1/4 c each apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, kosher salt). Then I put some butter over it, a bit of salt, then cooked at 500F for 13 minutes. I only did 1/4 of the quantity of the recipe since I only brined 1 quail. (1 cup apple cider, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and I used sea salt)