Southern Fried Quail Breast & Leg Truffled Fingerling Potatoes Green Bean Casserole

Makes 4 Appetizer Plates

Quail

Brine:

• 1 Each Lime, zested and quartered
• 1 Cup Strong Tea
• 3 T Maple Syrup
• 2 T Kosher Salt
• 1 Cup Ice Water
• 2 Each Quail, semi boneless, cut into 4 breasts, 4 legs, and 4 thighs

• Place the zest, lime, tea, syrup and salt in a small saucepan. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook until the salt is dissolved.
• Add the ice water, quail breast and legs. When cool, place this mixture into a glass or plastic container with a lid. Save the thighs to make the green bean casserole sauce.
• Brine the quail for about 8 hours under refrigeration.

Crust/Frying:

• 1 Cup Wondra Flour
• ½  Cup Masa Harina
• 1 T Poultry Seasoning
• Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Each Egg
• ½  Cup Buttermilk
• Vegetable Oil for Frying

Method

• Combine flour, masa, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
• In another bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk.
• Remove the quail from the brine and place all the pieces into the buttermilk and egg mixture.
• Take one piece at a time, dredge it in the in the flour mixture, then place the pieces in a single layer on a tray or plate. Let it sit at room temp for 10 minutes.
• Fill a pan with enough oil to submerge the quail and heat it to 300 degrees.
• Add the quail and fry until golden brown and the juices are clear, about 7 or 8 minutes. Save the oil to fry the shallot rings.
• Drain and keep warm until ready to plate.
• Save the flour, buttermilk and oil to fry shallot rings for garnish.

Green Bean Casserole

Sauce

• 1 Slice Applewood smoked bacon, cut into lardoons (1/4” strips)
• 1 Cup Chanterelle Mushrooms, washed, quartered and set aside, divided use
• 1 T Shallots, minced
• 2 t Garlic, minced
• 1 T Carrots, small dice
• 1 T Celery, small dice
• 4 Each Reserved Quail thighs
• 2 T Parsley, chopped
• 1 T Sage, chopped
• 1 T Basil, Chopped
• 1 Each Bay Leaf
• ½  Cup, Dry White Wine
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black Pepper to taste
• Fresh lime juice to taste

Method

• Heat a 10” skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon lardoons and cook until crisp. Remove the lardons to paper towels and reserve for garnish. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet.
• Add ½ cup of the chanterelles to the skillet and sauté until they begin to lose their liquid then reabsorb it. Remove the chanterelles from the skillet and place them in a small sauce pan. Reserve for later use. Do not clean skillet.
• Add the quail thighs to the 10” skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots, sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, sauté 1 minute.
• Add the remaining chanterelles and sauté until they lose their liquid. Add the herbs.
• Deglaze with the white wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken stock and reduce by ½. Add the cream and reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Strain the sauce into the reserved sauce pan with the chanterelles, stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add just enough lime juice to “brighten” the flavor, not enough to overwhelm it.
• Reserve the sauce in a warm place.

Beans Ingredients:

• 20 Each French green beans, stem end trimmed
• 1 T EVOO
• Salted boiling water
• Ice water bath
• 12 Each Red Bell Pepper strips cut julienne, about the same length as the beans
• 12 Each Yellow Bell pepper strips cut julienne, about the same length as the beans

Method

• Drop the beans into the boiling water for 90 seconds.
• Remove them to the ice water bath to cool.
• Remove from the water and reserve.
• Reserve the bell pepper with the beans.
• Save the salted water and the ice bath for the potatoes.

Shallot Rings

• 1 Each Shallot, cut into thin rings

Method

• Dredge the shallot rings in the reserved buttermilk, then flour and fry until crisp, about 30 seconds.
• Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Truffled Fingerling Potatoes

• 16 Each Fingerling potatoes, assorted colors, cut into about 1/3” coins on a mandoline
• 3 T EVOO
• 2 t Thyme leaves, fresh
• 4 Each Thyme sprigs for garnish
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T Truffle oil or peelings

Method

• Bring the salted water for the beans back to a boil.
• Add the potato coins and blanch for 30 seconds.
• Cool in the ice water.
• Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Assembly

• Place a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1T EVOO and sauté French beans and bell peppers until heated through. Season and reserve in a warm place.
• Wipe out the pan for the French beans, return to medium high heat. Add 3T EVOO and sauté potatoes until done. Season, toss with the thyme leaves and reserve in the pan.
• Lay out 4 salad plates. If available, place a 2” ring mold in the center of a plate. If not, place ¼ of the potatoes in the center of each plate. Drizzle with ¼ of the truffle oil.
• Place 1 breast and 1 leg on top of the potatoes.
• Place 5 French beans and 3 each of the bell peppers on top of the quail.
• Pour 1T of the sauce over the bean mixture.
• Drizzle 1T of sauce around the plate.
• Sprinkle some bacon bits over the quail.
• Stand one thyme sprig standing up in the center of the dish.
• Repeat for the remaining plates.

Enjoy!

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