Not everything I cook turns out as an award winning “Chopped Champion. In fact, I have experienced a number of disasters in and around the kitchen. It’s just that I don’t write about those very often. Today, however, is a confessional. This is a recipe for “How Not To” cook Blackened Quail.
I had a few quail in the freezer from a prior hunt on a Virginia game preserve and I wanted to try a different approach in preparing the ordinarily tasty partridges. So I fileted the small breasts and separated the legs. My goal was to cook them Cajun style, blackened on a red-hot stove with spicy Cajun seasonings. I love anything blackened – steak, fish, fowls – why not quail? Preparing the quail in smaller pieces would allow for quick cooking.
I melted some butter, rolled the quail parts in the butter, seasoned them with Cajun spices and put the skillet on a red-hot eye. When I knew the pan was nearing 500 degrees, I put the quail pieces in the pan and they fairly sizzled, quickly smoking up the kitchen. But the quail were cooking superbly. I flipped them over and they were blackened perfectly. In another minute, the first batch was done so I removed the hot skillet and set it on a hot pad until I could prepare the second batch. I put the skillet back on the eye, added the second batch of quail and then flames enveloped the stove. The pan was so hot that the hot pad stuck to the bottom and caught fire when I inadvertently put it on the red-hot eye. I stood like a deer-in-the-headlights while my frenzied wife barked out instructions. She was worried about the house burning down as I considered how I could save this beautiful batch of blackened quail.
Fortunately, before I could do something stupid like throwing water on a blazing stove fire, my son came in the kitchen, picked up a towel and quickly smothered the fire. I was even able to salvage the quail, and they were good.
When cooking Blackened Quail or anything blackened, I’d advise against putting a red-hot skillet down on an innocent hot pad.
Blackened Quail (Safe Style)
6 or 8 quail, breasts fileted and legs separated
1 stick melted butter
3 T. Chef Prudhomme’s Blackened Poultry Magic
1 red hot skillet
Absolutely no hot pads
