Having been blessed to have hunted all the species of quail on our continent, over the years I have had ample opportunity to sample quail cooked many different ways. Through trial and error I have been able to invent one of my favorite dishes, that can be cooked over a campfire or on a stove, “Quail Jon”, that I would like to share with you.

The ingredients are quail legs, however, dove, small bull frog, teal or woodcock legs can be substituted, but I have found that large duck, or pheasant, legs are too tough. Depending on how many legs, the ingredients are, one or two jalapenos, sectioned into 1/8, inch slices. Halve the jalapenos, remove the seeds, then slice. I prefer cleaned and sliced garlic pods, or a copious amount of garlic powder, 1 stick of butter (no margarine!) and fresh lemon/lime juice to taste. Remember, you can’t use too much garlic or jalapeno!

Clean and wash the legs and prepare your ingredients. Be sure and wash your hands thoroughly, at least 2 times, after slicing and deseeding the jalapenos! Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet, and when melted, add all of the ingredients at once and simmer, covering the skillet with a lid, for 15 minutes, then stir and turn the mixture, recover and cook until done. Feeds as many as you have legs for. Small legs are very good served as appetizers. Large frog legs can be the main course and are excellent cooked this way. Best if served hot, but be sure and eat all the peppers!

The sauce; butter, garlic, lemon/lime, and jalapenos, can also be used with small fillets of any white fleshed fish. Speckled trout, or “Trout Jon” is very tasty prepared this way, but take caution, don’t overcook, the fish being done when the meat flakes.

Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll come across a better recipe?