I was always rather suspicious of eating quail's eggs and I am rather embarrassed to say it has taken me a long time to get round to trying one. But now that I have I can't stand up for them enough.
They are pretty, small, buttery to taste and cook in a flash. They have a higher proportion of yolk to white compared to a hen's egg which makes them richer and more luxurious.
Quails are a very small game bird and when bred commercially they are kept in spacious pens which allow their natural behaviour like scratching and dust bathin
g. They need less space than chickens and can be raised at home.
Lightly boiled, peeled at the table and then rolled in a few lightly toasted sesame seeds or a few flakes of sea salt and served with home made
anchovy
mayonnaise (if you can) they are great to eat with a glass of wine before dinner.
Anch
ovy mayonnaise is a great match for quail eggs. You can almost imagine they are laid by a gull rather than a quail.
How to make quail eggs with anchovy mayonnaise
Serves 4
12 quail eggs
12 radish. You can also add cherry tomatoes and olives to the plate.
Anchovy mayonnaise
1 egg yolk, separated from a free range hen's egg
1 tsp French mustard
150ml rapeseed oil
150ml olive oil
1 dsp white wine vinegar
1 dsp capers, roughly chopped
1 dsp parsley, chopped
5 tinned anchovies, roughly chopped
Fresh ground black pepper
To serve
25g sesame seed, lightly toasted
20g flaked sea salt
Method
Place quail eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for precisely 3 minutes for a soft boil and 4 minutes for hard boil. Remove from the heat and plunge the eggs into cold water. Prepare the vegetables to be served alongside the quail eggs. Arrange quail eggs and vegetables on a serving plate.
To make the anchovy mayonnaise. The egg yolk and the oil must be at room temperature. Place the egg yolk, mustard and pepper in a bowl and gradually add the oil a drop at a time. Stir continuously with a wooden-spoon until all of the oil is used up and you have a thick, creamy mass. When the mayonnaise is thick and can stand to a peak gradually add the white wine vinegar. At this point you must start to taste the mayonnaise - just a little at a time - so that you can get the balance of flavours spot on. Add the chopped capers, anchovies and parsley and stir well. Taste and add a little freshly ground black pepper if you think the mayonnaise needs it.
To serve: place the mayonnaise, salt and toasted sesame seeds in little bowls. I collected the shells in the photograph from Wineglass Bay in Tasmania. I always had in mind that I would use them in a dish like this. Arrange the quail eggs and vegetables around them on a large plate. Serve with fresh, crusty real bread.
