Chicken Fried Quail With Creamy Thyme Gravy Food

BUTTERMILK FRIED QUAIL

Steps:

• Mix the buttermilk with the all the spices (except the salt). Coat the quail with the mixture and set in a covered container for as little as an hour, and as much as 8 hours.
• When you are ready to fry, pour the oil into a large pan - a big cast iron frying pan or Dutch oven is ideal - and heat over medium-high heat. You want the oil to almost submerge the quail halves.
• Meanwhile, take the quail out of the buttermilk and let it drain in a colander. Don't shake off the buttermilk or anything, just leave it there.
• Let the oil heat until it is about 325°F; this is the point where a sprinkle of flour will immediately sizzle. Do not let the oil smoke! When the oil is hot, pour the flour and salt into a plastic bag and shake to combine. Put a few quail into the bag and shake to get it coated in flour. NOTE: If you want your quail "extra crispy," let the battered birds sit on a rack until the flour absorbs the moisture of the buttermilk coating. Then give them a second shake in the flour bag. You'll get a much thicker, crunchier crust that way.
• Fry for about 4 to 5 minutes. Fry gently - you want a steady sizzle, but nothing raging, and you definitely don't want the quail to just sit in oil. You might need to adjust the heat a bit. Turn the quail over and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. You will probably need to fry in batches, so just leave the unfried quail in the colander until you are ready to flour them up and fry them. Don't let the floured pieces sit.
• When the quail are good and fried, let them rest on a rack set over a paper towel to drain away any excess oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

CREAMY CHICKEN AND THYME

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts in a large nonstick skillet. Add 1/2 cup of broth. Cover and simmer until juices run clear, 10-12 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add remaining broth to skillet and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low., In a small bowl, combine the flour and sour cream. Whisk into pan. Stir in the parsley, salt, dill weed, thyme, onion salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. If desired, serve with hot cooked noodles. ,

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK WITH CREAM GRAVY

Steps:

• Pound each steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Liberally sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together the 1 1/2 cups flour with the cornstarch, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
• Working with one steak at a time, lightly dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Dip in the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drip off. Dredge again in the flour mixture, packing it onto the steaks and pressing firmly into crevices, and gently shake off the excess. Return the steaks to the same wire rack. (If time allows, refrigerate, uncovered, 2 to 6 hours. This rest time will ensure that the crust is extra crispy and adheres to the steak. Let the steaks stand at room temperature 30 minutes before frying.)
• Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons flour until combined and cook until golden and bubbling, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy boils. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. (Cream gravy will seem very loose, but it will thicken as it sits.)
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat with enough oil to come halfway up the sides. Fit the skillet with a deep-fry thermometer then heat over high heat until the oil registers 375 degrees F. Fry the steaks in 2 batches until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Whisk the warm cream gravy to loosen and serve over the chicken-fried steaks.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN WITH WHITE GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fit cooling racks into 2 baking sheets.
• Place 1 chicken breast in a one-gallon resealable plastic bag with the seal left open (alternatively, place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap). Pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and egg in a medium bowl. Set up a dredging station by arranging the chicken, dry ingredients, wet ingredients and prepared baking sheet in an assembly line. Dredge 1 chicken breast in the dry ingredients to coat, then dip in the wet ingredients and shake off any excess. Dredge once again in the dry ingredients to coat and transfer to one of the cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Fill a deep cast-iron skillet with 3/4 to 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place on the second cooling rack and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk in a steady stream while whisking. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then the vinegar. Cook at a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve the chicken fried chicken topped with the white gravy.

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK WITH CREAM

Steps:

• Make the gravy: Melt the butter with the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking to remove any lumps, until the gravy thickens, 4 to 6 minutes. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and remove from the heat.
• Make the steak: Place the steaks between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/8 inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk the milk and eggs. One at a time, dredge each steak in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, then return to the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Transfer the breaded steaks to a rack.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. One at a time, fry the steaks until golden brown, turning once, about 5 minutes (return the oil to 350 degrees F between each steak). Transfer the finished steaks to the rack on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you make the rest.
• Meanwhile, reheat the gravy. Stir in some water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the gravy is too thick. Drizzle the fried steak with the gravy and top with scallions.

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK (CHICKEN WITH CREAMY GRAVY)

Steps:

• Season the chicken breasts with black pepper.
• In a shallow dish combine crushed cracker crumbs with flour 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne pepper (if using) and baking powder.
• In another shallow dish whisk together eggs with 3/4 milk.
• Dredge the chicken breasts in the cracker mixture then dip in the egg/milk mixture, then dredge AGAIN in the cracker mixture.
• Pour the oil into a large skillet and heat to 360 degrees F.
• Fry the breasts in hot oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown; remove to a wire rack and cover lightly with foil.
• Carefully drain oil but reserve the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet along with a couple tablespoons of the oil.
• In a bowl mix together 4 cups half and half cream, 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper; whisk until combined, then add to the reserved drippings in the skillet, cook whisking constantly over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve the creamed gravy with the breasts.

CHICKEN-FRIED QUAIL WITH CREAMY THYME GRAVY

Steps:

• Quail
• Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a brown paper bag.
• Rinse the quail and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce in a shallow bowl and whisk to mix. In a separate shallow bowl or plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs, flour, salt and black pepper to taste, and cayenne and stir or shake to mix.
• Pour canola oil 1/4 inch deep in a large skillet, add the bacon drippings, if using, and place over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100).
• Dip each quail into the buttermilk mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place in the skillet 3 or 4 at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy and the interior is slightly pink. If the quail are browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. Transfer the quail to the lined baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining quail, and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil, reserving the pan drippings.
• Gravy
• Add the shallot to the same skillet and cook and stir over medium heat for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and cook and stir for 1 minute more, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the milk, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until the gravy is thick and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon the gravy over the quail and serve warm.
• On the Side
• This chicken-fried quail is delicious with Summer Succotash (page 232), Spring Coleslaw with Fresh Herbs and Light Honey Citrus Vinaigrette (page 258), and Watercress Angel Biscuits (page 54). Or try them for breakfast over Country Ham and Hominy Hash (page 82) or with Buttermilk Waffles (page 91) in place of fried chicken.
• Chew on this: About Quail
• Southerners have long been crazy for quail, a small bird favored for eating and-perhaps especially-hunting. It was one of the few game species to flourish in the new landscape carved out by cotton farming, and the birds remain a favorite catch of hunters today.
• That was certainly true in my family, and I've been eating quail for as long as I can remember. Whenever my dad and grandfather brought them home from a hunt, Granny Foster would dust them lightly with flour and fry them in a skillet for breakfast along with pan gravy and angel biscuits. Like many Southerners, my grandfather called quail "bobwhites" for their characteristic whistle, which sounds like they are singing "bobwhite! bobwhite! bobwhite!" The meat tastes sort of like chicken, but with a lovely, nutty-sweet twang, and quail can be prepared in all the ways you'd prepare chicken-but with much shorter cooking times.
• Quail are so dainty that you will want to budget at least one, but more likely two, per person. Farmed quail can be bought from a number of online providers and usually come partially boned (see Sources, page 377).