brine and marinade.

[adkim]

is it okay to brine my quail in salt/water for a few hours and then marinade them in some citrus juices and vinegar, etc? should i even brine them or just marinade them?

[pitu]

If it was me, I'd brine with spices and perhaps citrus rind in weak salt water
(and not marinade in any acid)
then make reduction/sauce with your vinegar

[adkim]

yeah. i always throw out the marinade juice and keep extra on the side for reducing and glazing. thanks.

[C. Hamster]

Just make a little extra marinade and set it aside to use for the glaze.

[MakingSense]

The Food Nannies tell you to throw away the marinade - food safety issue. Something about uncooked juices, etc., not being cooked enough while you're using it to baste/glaze to kill any bacteria. This might be overcome while you are reducing but it might be safer to make a little extra marinade and use that for your reduction/sauce.
And don't forget about the birdies marinating - they are so tiny and can get mushy very quickly in an acid marinade! A half hour can be a long time.

[HaagenDazs]

As long as you boil the marinade, you'll be fine. A reduced marinade is quite obviously boiled or simmered for a long time.

[adkim]

thanks, guys. i will marinade them for a 1/2 hour then make a reduction w/ the marinade and glaze them while they are finishing up on the grill.

[MakingSense]

Gosh, NO. They're too tiny. The texture of the flesh would be destroyed by brining.
You probably don't want to marinate them for more than a few minutes, if at all. Again, due to their size, the acids in citrus or vinegar could affect the texture. Use those in a pan sauce or glaze instead.

[opinionatedchef]

adkim, my inclination is to say just marinade them. i've actually never read of quail ever being brined.. but maybe there's a more scientifically knowledgable CH out there.