Quail eggs have a similar taste to chicken eggs, but are smaller and more elegant. Generally they are eaten hard-boiled, fried or poached. The more whimsical cooks can try pickling them or follow the recipe for marbled tea eggs.
Ingrediants
Boiled Quail Eggs
Doses for 6 servings
- 6 raw quail eggs
- 1 l of water
- 1 l of frozen water
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of white vinegar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt (optional)
Fried Quail Eggs
Doses for 6 servings
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of seed oil
- 6 raw quail eggs
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Poached Quail Eggs
Doses for 6 servings
- 6 raw quail eggs
- 500 ml of water
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Marbled Quail Eggs
Doses for 6 servings
- 6 hard-boiled quail eggs, with the shells intact
- 500 ml of water
- 4 tea bags (use dark or brightly colored tea blends, such as black tea, red tea, or oolong tea)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of honey
- 4 cloves
Pickled Quail Eggs
Doses for 24 servings
- 24 hard-boiled quail eggs, shelled
- 125 ml of white vinegar
- 60 ml of water
- 1/4 teaspoon of celery seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon of anise seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- 8 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Hard Boiled Quail Eggs
Step 1. Immerse the eggs in cold water
Place the eggs in a small saucepan and add enough cold water to submerge them by 2-3 cm.
- Handle them gently to avoid breaking them. Place them in the bottom of the pot without overlapping them and make sure they have enough room to move as they boil. If they hit each other, the shells could break.
- While not strictly necessary, consider adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of white vinegar to the water. They will cause the egg white to separate from the shell, so you will have less trouble peeling the eggs once they are cooked.
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil
Place the pot on the stove and heat the water over medium-high heat. Wait for it to come to a steady boil.
Step 3. Turn off the stove and let the quail eggs cook for 5 minutes
As soon as the water starts to boil steadily, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 5 minutes before draining them.
Leave the pot on the hot stove while the eggs continue to cook. The residual heat will ensure a more even cooking, even of the yolk. On the other hand, if you leave the stove on, they will be overcooked
Step 4. Immerse the eggs in frozen water
Drain them from the hot one with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl with water and ice. Let the eggs cool for 3-4 minutes.
- Immersing the eggs in frozen water will stop cooking. You'll also have less trouble peeling them.
- Alternatively, you can leave them under the cold water stream of the sink until you can touch them without burning yourself.
Step 5. Serve the quail eggs
Remove the shells and enjoy them as you like.
- Gently tap the eggs against a hard surface to break the shell, then peel them normally with your fingers.
- You can eat them alone, perhaps after having seasoned them with a pinch of table salt or celery salt to flavor them. Alternatively, you can use them in another recipe, for example that of marbled, pickled eggs or kwek kwek.
Method 2 of 5: Fried Quail Eggs
Step 1. Heat the oil
Pour the seed oil into a large non-stick pan. Put it on the stove and heat the oil over medium heat for about a minute.
Let the oil get hot, but don't let it start smoking. When it becomes more liquid and shiny, rotate the pan to distribute it evenly across the bottom
Step 2. Break the quail eggs
Gently break the shells and drop the egg whites and yolks into 6 separate ceramic bowls.
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Since quail eggs are very small, it is not easy to break the shell and leave the yolk intact. The most effective method is to saw off one end of the shell using a serrated knife. Once opened, drop the contents into a bowl.
Alternatively, you can try to peel one end of the egg with your fingers, very carefully, and then pinch the inner membrane where the egg white and yolk are enclosed to get them out and slide into the bowl
- If you plan to cook more than 6 eggs, do this several times (roughly 4 at a time).
Step 3. Slide the eggs into the hot oil
Tilt the individual bowls over the pan to gently slide the quail eggs into the hot oil.
- Bring the edge of the bowl as close as possible to the oil to minimize the distance from the bottom of the pan and prevent the yolk from breaking and falling.
- Try to position the eggs so they don't touch each other inside the pan.
Step 4. Cook them until they have set
Cover the pan and cook the quail eggs for about 60-90 seconds or until the egg whites are completely set.
- Don't touch the eggs as they cook.
- Note that the yolks will still appear soft when the eggs are cooked.
Step 5. Serve the fried eggs hot
Lift them out of the pan with a flat spatula and gently place them on the individual serving plates. Season them with salt and white pepper and serve them while they are still hot.
Fried quail eggs can be eaten on their own, but it is best to accompany them with slices of toast, smoked salmon or truffle flakes
Method 3 of 5: Poached Quail Eggs
Step 1. Put the water to boil
Pour about 5cm of water into a pan, then bring it to a boil using medium-high heat.
As soon as the water reaches a boil, turn the heat down so that it just simmers. It should simmer at a slow, steady pace when you add the eggs
Step 2. Meanwhile, prepare the eggs
When the water boils, break the egg shells and slide the egg whites and yolks into six separate bowls.
- April very gently to avoid breaking the yolks. The best technique is to saw off one end of the shell with a serrated knife, also etching the membrane that encloses the egg white, and then pour the contents into the bowls through the opening.
- The ideal is to cook only 3-4 eggs at a time. If you want to serve a greater number of diners, it is better to proceed several times.
Step 3. Slide the eggs into the water
Place them gently in the water as it simmers. Make them separate to prevent them from sticking to each other as they cook.
Bring the edge of the bowl as close to the surface of the water as possible before dropping the egg. This way you will be able to slide it gently instead of letting it fall, preserving the yolk
Step 4. Cook the eggs until the egg whites have set
It will take about 1 minute. Once the egg whites are cooked, you can decide to leave the yolk to set or to immediately drain the eggs from the water to keep them soft.
Lift the ready-made eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon. Be careful not to drop them and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to let them drain out of the water
Step 5. Serve them hot
Enjoy poached quail eggs immediately.
- Generally it is customary to lay the poached egg on top of a salad or cooked vegetables, but nothing prevents them from being eaten separately.
- If you want to keep them for later, keep them immersed in ice water in a bowl. When you are ready to eat them, reheat them by placing them in a pot full of simmering water. About 30 seconds or so will be enough.
Method 4 of 5: Marbled Quail Eggs
Step 1. Boil the water and herbs
Pour half a liter of water into a small pot, then add the tea bags, honey, and cloves. Place the pot on the stove and heat the water over medium-high heat.
You can vary the types of teas and spices according to your personal tastes, but remember that to get a well-accentuated marbled effect you need to use a variety of teas in dark or bright shades
Step 2. Break the egg shells
While the water is boiling, roll them gently onto a hard surface so the shells crack without breaking the inner membrane that encloses the egg whites.
- If you prefer, you can crack the shells by hitting them gently with the back of a spoon.
- The cracks will need to be deep enough to reach the inner membrane of the egg, but the shell will need to remain intact.
Step 3. Dip quail eggs in tea
Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the hot stove. Place the eggs in the boiling infusion using a slotted spoon.
Cover the pot and let the eggs cook for 20-30 minutes
Step 4. Refrigerate them until the next day
Transfer the covered pot to the refrigerator and let the eggs cool for at least 2 hours or, better yet, overnight.
Leaving them immersed in the infusion for longer will result in a more pronounced marbled effect. After 2 hours the drawing should already be visible, but after 8 it will certainly be more pronounced
Step 5. Peel and serve the eggs
Drain them from the tea, dry them gently and peel them slowly with your fingers. Serve the marbled quail eggs at room temperature.
In addition to producing a pleasing visual effect, the tea will also make the eggs tastier. However, if you wish, you can season them with a pinch of salt, a few drops of soy sauce or whatever you like
Method 5 of 5: Pickled Quail Eggs
Step 1. Blend the ingredients for pickling eggs
Pour the white wine vinegar into a small pot, then add the water, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, paprika, sea salt, chopped shallot and celery seeds, coriander, anise and fennel. Stir to mix the ingredients.
Step 2. Bring the mixture to a boil
Place the pot on the stove and heat the ingredients over medium heat. When the vinegar starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Then turn off the stove and move the pot to a cold surface. Let the vinegar and other ingredients cool for 5-10 minutes or until they are almost room temperature
Step 3. Cover the eggs with the infusion
Place the eggs in a sterilized glass jar with a capacity of one liter. Once warm, pour the mixture of vinegar, water, and spices over the eggs.
It is important that the jar has been washed and sterilized in boiling water. If there were harmful bacteria they could contaminate the eggs and put your health at risk
Step 4. Chill pickled eggs in the refrigerator for 24 hours
Seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator. Wait at least a full day before eating the eggs.
Step 5. Serve the pickled quail eggs
Take them out of the jar with a spoon and eat them still slightly cold.
- You can serve them as an aperitif, appetizer or as an accompaniment to the second course.
- Keep the jar in the refrigerator and eat the eggs within two weeks.
