Crispy Silk Road Quails
Warning: these quails have to be eaten with your fingers! This recipe works just as well with a small chicken (cooking time will be longer). As a rule, Fragrant-Mild blends like the Silk Road blend combine well with sweet and salt or sweet and sour meats.
Ingredient
- 1 Tbsp Silk Road blend, ground
- 1 tsp white pepper, ground
- 2 Tbsp ginger, chopped
- 2 scallions, cut in 2-inch sections
- 4 Tbsp rice wine or sherry
- 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 6 large quails
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Oil for frying
Method
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1
Mix spices, pepper, ginger, scallions, half the wine and soy sauce. Marinate quails in the mixture for one hour.
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2
Place quails in a pan just large enough to accommodate them. Pour marinade on top with remaining wine and soy sauce. Add sugar, salt and water.
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3
Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
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4
Remove from heat. Turn quails over in their jus and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes or longer if you wish.
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5
Drain quails well on a plate (20-30 minutes). Prepare the dip by reducing cooking jus by half. Remove from heat and incorporate the sesame oil. Set aside.
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6
Heat frying oil in a wok. When oil is hot, fry three quails at a time until golden and crispy (2-3 minutes).
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7
Serve hot quails with the dip.
