Fried Quails

I wasn't at my mom's when she made the quails for Christmas. However, she was accommodating and took a few "before" pictures. It sounds relatively easy to make although I can't say I know from experience!

We don't eat quails often because they are a bit of a pain to eat. You have the little bones to deal with. I do like them a lot. I think their small size helps absorbs the flavours better. I have been (embarrassingly) watching a Top Chef marathon on Food TV Canada and supposedly overcooked quails are not ideal. I have no idea if my mom was perfectly cooked but they tasted delicious!

Fried Quails

* ½ tbsp salt
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
* ¼ tsp five-spice powder
* 1 tbsp lemongrass (we use the frozen one)
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 6 quails (about 800 g)

* oil

Cut the quails in half with scissors along the back.
Mix everything for the seasoning except the quails.

Marinate overnight (ideally).
Fry in about 1 cm of oil until golden on each side. (Alternately, you could also broil on high if you want to avoid using oil - coat the quails with a bit of oil to avoid them drying up).

Tada!

Whole quails: they kind of look cute, non?

Quails in the marinade.

Served on a bed of watercress tossed with a light vinaigrette.