Recipe courtesy of Mac & Ernie's Roadside Eatery
Fry-Fecta with Bacon Serrano Gravy
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 2 servings
- Total: 1 hr 35 min
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
2 quarts peanut oil
2 pounds all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups buttermilk
Two 2-ounce filet mignons, flattened to 1/4-inch thickness
2 semi-boneless quail, cut in half
2 single-bone lamb chops, fat cap removed
Bacon Serrano Gravy, recipe follows
Bacon Serrano Gravy:
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
Oil, as needed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, finely diced
3 cups milk
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Directions
Special equipment:
a deep-frying thermometer- Fit a heavy-bottomed pan like a Dutch oven with a deep-frying thermometer. Add peanut oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a shallow baking dish.
- Pour the buttermilk in a separate bowl. Dredge the filet, the quail and the lamb in the flour. Remove from the flour, shaking off excess, and give the pieces a good swim in the buttermilk.
- Take out of the buttermilk and dredge again in the flour. Add quail carefully to hot oil. Let fry for 2 minutes, then add the lamb and the filet mignon. Cook until all is golden brown and delicious, about 4 more minutes. Serve with the Bacon Serrano Gravy.
Bacon Serrano Gravy:
- Cook bacon until crispy in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. If there isn't 1/4 cup bacon drippings in the pan, add oil to get to 1/4 cup. Heat oil over low heat, then add flour and cook, stirring quite often, to make a roux. (Don't answer the phone, don't start a new game on your phone. Watch the roux. It can burn quickly. Nobody likes burned roux.) Cook the roux until you have a color like milk chocolate; this can take awhile, at least 20 minutes. Add the reserved bacon and the serranos and cook for a couple of minutes more. Slowly whisk in the milk, beef stock and cream. Gently bring to a simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt, pepper and sugar. Set gravy aside and commence with the goodness.