Fancy finger foods: how to make fried quail and globe artichoke – no knife and fork necessary
- Delicious dishes do not dictate that you use utensils – sometimes it’s just as satisfying to eat with your hands
- Try Susan Jung’s fried quails with shichimi togarashi and orange zest and globe artichokes with aioli
I love food that you can eat with your hands. With these quails, you can, I suppose, eat them with a knife and fork because they are almost boneless. But the bones you do leave in – in the legsand wings – cry out to be used as “handles” so you can pick the birds up with your fingers before biting into the meat. And I don’t know anyone who is stuffy enough to eat a globe artichoke with a knife and fork, especially when it is served with a delicious aioli to dip the leaves and heart (denuded of the “choke”) into.
Fried quails with shichimi togarashi and orange zest
Deboning a quail is easier to do than it is to describe. Once you’ve had some practice deboning a couple of birds, the rest should take you less than five minutes each. These quails are as good cold as they are when freshly cooked.
6 quails, thawed, if frozen
½-1 tsp shichimi togarashi
Finely grated zest of one orange
Fine sea salt
2 large eggs
Plain (all-purpose) flour, as needed
Panko, as needed
Cooking oil
1 If the quails have any remaining feathers, remove them with tweezers. Put the birds breast-side down on the cutting board. Use poultry shears to cut along one side of the backbone, working from the neck to the tail. Turn the quail around, then cut along the other side of the backbone, removing it completely.
Place the quail skin-side down on the cutting board and start removing all the bones, except for those in the leg (thigh and drumstick) and wing. Run your fingertips under the bones to loosen them. Most of the bones – especially the ribs – are thin and delicate and will come out easily. When removing the breastbone, work carefully where the bone meets the skin at the centre, taking care not to tear the skin.
A few of the bones, such as the wishbone and shoulder bones, are tougher, and you will probably need to use a paring knife to cut them from the flesh. Debone the remaining quails the same way. The bones you have removed can be used to make poultry stock.
