Fried Quails
INGREDIENTS- 8 quails - approximately 4 oz each
- vegetable oil enough to fill 2 inches in the saucepan
- 4 cloves garlic - sliced
- 1 tbs lemon grass - sliced, use only the lower part
- 1 bunch cilantro roots - save the leaves for garnish
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Golden mountain sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 tsp ground black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp dried chillie powder
- 2 tablespoon Fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1/4 teaspoon Rice powder available in all Asian markets
Hint: To control the spicy flavour of this thai poultry food be sure to use more or less ground black peppercorns and chilli powder. You can adjust this meal to your own tastes by moderating the quantity of spices. Some may prefer very spicy food in which case you can always sprinkle some extra spices.
- Cut along both sides of the quail backbones to remove them
- Press firmly on the breast bones to flatten the quail
- Rinse and dry completely
- Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, lemon grass, cilantro roots, white pepper and salt until it forms a thick paste
- In a bowl, combine the paste, the Golden Mountain sauce, fish sauce and vegetable oil
- Rub each quail with marinade sauce and season them with fresh ground black pepper
- In a plastic bag, stack the quails up, squeeze all the air out and tie the bag tightly
- Leave them in a refrigerator overnight, turning them occasionally
- In a deep fryer or large saucepan heat two inches of oil to 375 F
- Fry 2 quails at a time
- Cook until the skin is crisp and the quails are cooked
- Serve dish with fresh vegetables, steamed jasmine rice and Thai sauce
- Garnish with cilantro leaves