Welp, it was time to smoke the little quails. I spent some time after work cleaning out the smoker, getting things ready. This year has seen a lot of meat run through the beast and it needs looking after. I got the fire started a little later than I had planned, but after seeing how tiny these little stuffed quails were I figured I had more time to fuss.
I used mesquite as my main heat source with large chunks of raw hickory to bring up the flavor side.
And boy did we get flavor, let me tell you whut.

Here we find the little darlings in the smoker. I seared the quail first, getting some color in there (hard to see that here), then tossed to the side and the lid gets closed. Once the lid is closed all you see are small wafts of blue smoke trailing out of the exhaust. Never white smoke, that’s bad. This would mean a smouldering fire which will give you creosote encrusted meat, bad. Adjust your temperature by your incoming air, never the exhaust.
It didn’t take long at all to bring the savory sausage stuffed quail to temperature, less than an hour.

I carved up a leg, that’s a butter knife behind for size. Luckily it had absolutely nothing to do with flavor. That little leg has to be one of the most smokey sweet luscious treats I’ve had this year. My first bite I had thought Taylor brined the birds, but no. Man, what an impressive little thing these quails are.

Wow wowzers. At first glance these birds would easily fit in a piece of square sandwich bread making a cute lunch. But once making through a leg then piercing the back area and going in for the sausage, this is one damned fine supper. The sausage was warm, sweet & happy. I kept waiting for that salty bite that sausage can deliver from time to time, not there. Then a tad of the lemon zest, followed by the … FIG !!! This is pure madness, pure complete madness.
If you ever get a chance to buy fresh quail, do so. I’m sold.
Xo Xo