Carolina-Style Vinegar-Brined Fried Quail

Nashville has its hot chicken, and it works for quail too, but the Carolinas go in a different direction when it comes to flavoring yard birds. In both North and South Carolina, the marinade of choice is a vinegar-based pickling solution. We tweaked the classic recipe a bit to customize it for quail and it's a winner.

The recipe starts with a mixture of apple cider and white vinegars, water and some of the same pickling spices you would use when making crispy dills from the cucumbers in your garden. Since quail are a bit more delicate than the average chicken, we cut the brine time back to two hours for a lighter vinegar flavor. From there, the whole plucked birds move to a buttermilk soak to both add more flavor and tenderize the quail. To add a little crunch and texture to the coating mix, use a blend of seasoned flour and cornmeal.