Ingredients
Nashville Hot Quail
4 Whole Quail
1/2 gallon(s) Vegetable Oil for frying
4 slices Texas Toast ( untoasted )
8 slices Pickles
Buttermilk Brine
4 cup(s) Buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
2-4 dashes Favorite Hot Sauce
Nashville Hot Spice Mix
3 tbsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Paprika
2 tbsp Onion Salt
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Black Pepper
Dry Dredge
2 cup(s) All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup(s) Nashville Hot Spice Mix
Wet Dredge
2 cup(s) Buttermilk
1 Egg
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2-4 dashes Favorite Hot Sauce
Hot Oil Glaze
1 cup(s) Hot oil from fryer
1/2 cup(s) Nashville Hot Spice Mix
Chipotle and Chile Mac and Cheese
1 1/2 cup(s) Warm Milk
1/4 cup(s) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup(s) All-purpose Flour
1-2 pinch Cayenne Pepper
8 oz Shell Pasta
6 oz Velvet Queso Cheese
2 cup(s) Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup(s) Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3-4 Chipotle Chiles in Adobe Sauce
4 oz Green Chiles
8-10 Ritz Crackers
1/2 cup(s) Kosher Salt for pasta water
2 tbsp Melted Butter
1 whole Parsley
Instructions
Step #1 - Let's start with brining our Quail. We'll make a simple Buttermilk Brine by combining Buttermilk, Salt, Cayenne and Hot Sauce ( that's optional ) in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Place your 4 Quail in a one gallon Zip Lock bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over top of them. Press out all the air out in the bag, seal and place in the fridge for one to two hours.
Step #2 - While the Quail are brining you can prepare the Nashville Hot Spice mixture. Combine Cayenne, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Onion Salt, Dark Brown Sugar and Black Pepper. Mix thoroughly to insure all the spices are nicely combined.
Step #3 - If you want to make the Chipotle and Chile Mac and Cheese, a nice time to start that would be now, you'll find the instructions below.
Step #4 - Once your Quail are done brining in the refrigerator, remove them from the Zip Lock bag and rinse them off in the sink.
Step #5 - Pat them dry with a few paper towels and set aside on a wire rack to dry and reach room temperature.
Step #6 - While the Quail are drying, get out a large Dutch oven and fill it with about 3-4 inches of Vegetable Oil. Clip on a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Set the stove burner to medium heat and let the oil reach a temperature of 350 degrees, adjusting the burner as needed.
Step #7 - While the oil is heating up, you will need to prepare your dredging station. You'll need two shallow dishes or bowls. In one of the bowls, combine 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour with 1/4 cup of the Nashville spice mixture and whisk together. And in the other bowl, combine the Buttermilk, egg, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and hot sauce (optional) and whisk together until bubbles start to form. This is the Baking Powder reacting with the Buttermilk, it'll help give us a light, flaky crust. If you prefer a flatter, denser crust, that isn't as crumbly, leave the baking powder and baking soda out.
Step #8 - You'll want to set the wet mixture and the dry mixture close to the frying station. You will be going Dry, Wet, Dry. The first dry mixture helps the Buttermilk adhere, Take your dry Quail, dip into the dry mixture, making sure to cover the bird and all its creases, shake off excess. Then submerge the Quail in the Buttermilk mixture. Then back to the dry mixture. From there...
Step #9 - It's into the fryer. You'll want to fry them until they are golden brown. You don't want to crowd your fryer, so I would suggest only doing one or two at a time. It shouldn't take long, 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your birds. You'll want the internal temperature to be around 160 F. Quail can still appear pink even when it's done. You'll need to make sure that between batches that the temperature of the oil has time to recover to 350 degrees.
Step #10 - Once it's done, remove it from the oil and place on a wire rack.
Step #11 - When all the Quail are done frying, you'll want to reserve 1 cup of the hot oil. Combine 1/2 cup of the Nashville Hot Spice mixture with the hot oil, then brush it on to your Quail.
Step #12 - Serve these Quail on a piece of Texas toast bread, garnished with 2 pickles on top, Mac and Cheese and an ice-cold beer.
Chipotle and Chile Mac and Cheese
Step #14 - Start your Mac and Cheese by boiling 4 quarts of water. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of kosher salt to your pasta water, you want it to taste like sea water.
Step #15 - Add 8 oz of shell pasta to the water and cook, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step #16 - While the pasta cooks, start your Bechamel cheese sauce for a Mac and Cheese. It should come together before the pasta finishes cooking. Start by melting 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth.
Step #17 - Slowly add 1 1/2 cups of warm milk to the flour and butter mixture, whisking continuously. When you see your sauce start to thicken, you can add your Cayenne Pepper and Hot Sauce. Add additional salt to taste.
Step #18 - You can now turn off the stove burner and add the Queso Cheese, the shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese and shredded Monterey Jack. Stirring to combine and melt.
Step #19 - Once your pasta is done, drain and combine with your Bechamel Cheese sauce. Chop the Chipotle Chiles up finely then add it and the Green Chiles to your Mac and Cheese.
Step #20 - Pour the whole mixture into a small casserole dish or shallow baking dish. Put your Ritz Crackers in a zip lock bag and crush them into fine particles. Melt 1/2 tbsp of butter and combine with your crushed Ritz Crackers. Sprinkle the mixture of top of your Mac and Cheese. Place your Mac and Cheese on the top shelf of your oven and turn your broiler on low. It'll only need to be in there a few minutes to form a nice golden crust. Once it comes out of the oven, garnish with chopped up fresh parsley.
