Quail Rosemary-Honey Rub
Tender quail are rubbed with an aromatic rosemary-honey rub and then hot smoked. The combination of sweet honey and resinous rosemary creates a golden-brown, lightly caramelized crust. Beech wood gives the meat a mild, nutty smoke flavor.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation
15 minutes + 2 hours resting timeMix all dry ingredients. Stir in olive oil and honey until a homogeneous paste forms. Pat quail dry and rub generously on all sides, also pressing under the skin. Marinate covered in the refrigerator.
Smoker Preparation
30 minutesPreheat the smoker to 120-135 °C. Prepare beech wood chips and apple wood chips in a 2:1 ratio. Take quail out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before smoking.
Smoking
1.5-2 hoursPlace quail on the smoking rack and smoke at constant temperature. Check core temperature after 1 hour. Brush with liquid honey in the last 15 minutes. Smoke until a core temperature of 74-76 °C is reached.
Resting
10 minutesRemove quail from the rack, loosely cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes so that the meat juices distribute evenly.
Pro Tip
Quail are very small and cook quickly – check the core temperature regularly to avoid drying out. A quick brush with liquid honey in the last 15 minutes intensifies the glaze.
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