Happy egg days!
Quail eggs will be hitting the shelves this week in Central Oregon, so I’d like to share some of my favorite ways to use them quickly and easily. Dropping eggs off at Central Oregon Locavore on 3rd street this morning was the perfect way to round out the egg-hunting weekend! Over the weekend though, the family and I got to indulge in some fun recipes with the little quail eggs.
My first and favorite way to eat a quail egg is one of the simplest for me, hard-boiled. I’m not always a fan of the size and texture of a boiled chicken egg, but I love a boiled quail egg. Something about the one-bite-ability of it and the ratio of the rich yolk to firm white is just perfect for a snack and make the most adorable appetizer.
To boil a quail egg firm I like to get the water up to a steady boil, then I lower the eggs I’m cooking in on a slotted spoon. Boil them for 6 minutes steady, then scoop them back out and put them in a bowl of ice water. Usually I’m waiting to peel them til they’ve cooled all the way down. I’ve found the longer they cool in the fridge the easier the shell comes off. I like to drop a splash of white vinegar and a pinch of salt into the water to help the peel release a little easier, too.
For a fancy Saturday brunch at home, we sat down for a plate of avocado toast. With a splash of lemon (for this one I drizzled over a meyer lemon olive oil), some salt and pepper, and the optional Parmesan sprinkled on top a mashed up avocado makes a tasty and rich spread for your toast. To add just a little flare to the top, we fried up a few of the quail eggs to drop on top. Frying the eggs only takes a couple minutes in a preheated non-stick pan.
The easiest way to break a quail egg to fry is by cutting the top open and pouring it out in one drop. I prefer to use the little triangle scissors designed for the quail eggs specifically, but a pair of kitchen scissors got the job done alright. Once open, drop the egg directly in the hot pan and as the white gets that solid opacity top it with a lid for just long enough to warm the top of the yolk, too. Each egg took us less than five minutes on the pan, then we scooped them up with a spatula before settling them on top of the avocado on our toast. The avocado spread and the bite-size egg was a match made in heaven! Of course the side of bacon was a tasty addition, as well.