Sweet and Sour Quail
By Jerrold Paul Shelton
In my view,
the wok is one of the most versatile pieces of camping cookware extant. It can serve as a pot for stewing or boiling,
and it also works great for deep-fat frying. Of course, a wok works pretty well for what it was made for -stir-frying
foods over high heat. In this role, a wok is kind of like the camper's microwave, because you can cook stuff in one
really fast and wind up with a tasty result, even in the middle of nowhere. Here, for the more adventuresome among you
who are willing to take your wok with you, is a recipe that is quick to prepare, while certain to please most appetites after
a long day in the field.
Preparation
Time: 15-20 min. Cook Time: 20 min.
Ingredients
2 cups white
rice
4 slices of
bacon, chopped
Breasts and
backs of 6 to 8 quail, chunked bite-sized
2 cups course
chopped bell pepper
2 cups course
chopped onion
1 cup grated
carrot
1/2 cup canned
pineapple
1 dash garlic
salt to taste
1 dash crushed
red pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon
sesame oil
3 cups prepared
sweet and sour sauce.
Step 1: Following
the directions on the package that your rice came in, prepare two cups of rice in a medium pot with lid. The rice takes
the longest to cook, hence the purpose for starting it first.
Step 2: Crank
up the heat under your wok to high. Toss in the chopped bacon, and cook until crisp. In the grease from the bacon,
add in your quail meat chunks, season with garlic salt and crushed red pepper, and stir-fry until thoroughly cooked -usually
about 5 to 7 minutes at 5500 feet elevation. Remove the quail meat and drain on a covered, paper-toweled plate and set
aside. Pour out most of the bacon fat. You only need enough remaining in the wok to keep the veggies from sticking.
Step 3: Add
in the chopped bell pepper, onion, and grated carrots. Add in the sesame oil and stir-fry until thoroughly warmed.
You want the veggies to be "aldente" for the right effect.
Step 4: Add your reserved quail pieces and pineapple chunks,
and stir-fry together for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the prepared sweet and sour sauce. If you like it sweeter,
add in pineapple juice from the can to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until rice (which should be cooking in a separate
pot) is done.
Serving
Suggestion:
Serve on a
bed of rice. Add stir-fried or steamed veggies for a complete meal.
