Crispy Braised Quail (Zhu Tou Chun)

Name: Crispy Braised Quail (Zhu Tou Chun)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients: 10 quail (plucked, gutted, claws removed, washed, and drained); 500 g soybean oil (approximately 50 g actually used); 35 g tomato juice; 10 g spicy bean paste; 10 g scallion; 1 g white pepper; 5 g ginger; 5 g soy sauce; 5 g garlic; 5 g Shaoxing wine; 2.5 g fine salt; 5 g cilantro; 300 ml chicken stock; 15 g Sichuan pepper salt (for dipping)

A Korean-style quail dish, first deep-fried then braised until tender. The meat is delicate and crisp, with a rich, savory aroma.

1h 5m

Easy

0 favorites

Ingredients

quail (plucked, gutted, claws removed, washed, and drained) 10

soybean oil (approximately 50 g actually used) 500 g

tomato juice 35 g

spicy bean paste 10 g

scallion 10 g

white pepper 1 g

ginger 5 g

soy sauce 5 g

garlic 5 g

Shaoxing wine 5 g

fine salt 2.5 g

cilantro 5 g

chicken stock 300 ml

Sichuan pepper salt (for dipping) 15 g

Instructions

Marinate the Quail

Pluck the quail, gut them and remove the internal organs, chop off the claws, wash them, drain well, and pat dry with a clean cloth. Mix the Shaoxing wine with the spicy bean paste, rub the mixture evenly over each quail, coating both the inside and outside. Place them in a dish and marinate for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.

First Fry the Quail

Heat a wok over high heat and pour in the soybean oil. When the oil reaches about 60% hot (roughly 150°C/300°F), add the marinated quail and fry until they turn a deep reddish-brown. Remove and drain off excess oil.

Braise the Quail Until Tender

In the same wok, reserve about 30 g of the soybean oil and heat it. Add the chopped scallion, minced ginger, and mashed garlic, and fry until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce, fine salt, Shaoxing wine, and tomato juice. Add the quail, reduce the heat to low, and braise until tender.

Second Fry the Quail

Heat the soybean oil in a wok over high heat to about 80% hot (roughly 190°C/375°F). Add the braised quail and fry until crispy through. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.