Smoked Coturnix quail.

[cawooduck]

I smoked my first batch of Coturnix quail and used the following recipe:

21 quail, fully plucked (numbers may vary!)

1 bottle of Yoshidas Sweet Terriyaki

2 tbs of worcestershire sauce

honey

orange marmalade

Hickory chips (or what ever flavor you prefer and remember to soak the chips in water before smoking to prolong the smoke!)

Take the fully plucked quail with the wings removed at the body and legs removed at the "knee", basically so it looks like a Thanksgiving turkey without the wings and put them in a large bowl, pour the Yoshidas marinade over the quail and then add 2 tbs of the worcestershire sauce in and mix the quail around in the sauce until all birds have a nice bath, basically about 20 minutes worth.

Start the smoker and bring the temp up to around 225 degrees, place the birds on the racks (on their side) and pour half the remaining mixture from the marinade bowl into the water pan in the smoker, add about a cup of water to the mixture.

Let the birds cook for about 15-20 minutes before adding the chips for smoking. Drop the temperature after adding the chips to about 185-200 degrees and relax!! Using a meat thermometer insert it into the breast of the quail to check the internal temp, when it reaches about 145-155 degrees, start the basting sauce!! Take about 1/4 cup of honey and add it to a small pot and add about 3 spoon fulls of orange marmalade, simmer till it is a liquid. Take out to the smoker and baste each quail and then when the internal temp of the quail reaches 165 degrees shut the smoker off and let the birds "rest" for about 20 minutes before removing from the smoker.

Bon Apetite!!!

 

[turducken]

Now that looks good

 

[yotetrapper]

Ok, I have a smoker, but I have no idea how to use it. Can you help? It's not electric or nothing, charcoal I'm guessing? It has two pans and two racks. I've always just used it as a grill, putting charcoal in the bottom pan and the meat on the low rack. I'm guessing you use charcoal to start.... when you said you start at 225... then add the wood chips directly to the charcoal? Water pan? Is that what the other pan is? Does it set on the low rack, filled with water? and the meat goes on the top rack? Thanks in advance, and thanks for sharing your recipe...I WILL be trying it out.

 

[cawooduck]

Quote:
Sounds like you have one of those bullet looking smokers where the top lid comes off right?

Start your coals in the very bottom pan, when the temp reaches about 200-225 that is when you add the quail, cook for about 15-20 minutes, if you dont have a chip pot (special for chips) then get some tin foil, make a "pan" out of it and put the soaked chips in it, then make a top for the "pan" out of the tin foil and after you have done this, poke some holes in the top of the tin foil pan with a fork, make a decent amount of holes, then place it directly on the charcoal in the smoker. The second pan you have is for wet smoking, when filled with plain water, or even the marinade watered down, or even beer it keeps the meat that is being smoked moist, to prevent drying out like beef jerky!! And this pan goes in the holder just above the charcoal, like what you described.

I put my racks to the top most part of the smoker.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask!!...........Jason

 

[cawooduck]

Quote:
Thanks Turducken, they are very good, and ive only got 4 smoked birds left, time to incubate some more after my ducks are done hatching!!

 

[yotetrapper]

Thanks Jason! Now I just need to raise up some quail to smoke.