hatching a flock of quail is not an option

January 20, 2010 11:57 AM

What can I do with 18 quail eggs?

Impulsively purchased 18 fresh quail eggs. All of the recipes I've found that use quail eggs call for pickled or canned ones.

Please help. Otherwise I'm just going to make some very tiny omelets.

posted by troika to food & drink (19 answers total)

You can make 18 beautiful tiny ravioli filled with a shaving of Pecorino and a quail egg each. Sauce with butter and pancetta.
posted by peachfuzz at 12:02 PM on January 20, 2010 [4 favorites]

deviled eggs?
sushi?

There are some good answers (quail egg pizza!) at this thread at thekitchn.com.
posted by vespabelle at 12:02 PM on January 20, 2010

seconding the ravioli, or some steak tartare amuses-bouche with quail egg on top (raw, of course)
posted by sanko at 12:06 PM on January 20, 2010

they're great for canapes and little appetizer things.
A mini fried egg sandwich or a slider with a tiny fried egg on top.
A cup of soup with a tiny egg poached in it.
A deconstructed chef's salad on a toothpick.
Lots of other things that could use a tiny hardboiled egg or deviled egg as a garnish

Also, Easter is coming up. Put them in with the chocolate and malted milk eggs of your enemies. Or your relatives.
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:15 PM on January 20, 2010

tiny little scotch eggs?
posted by carlh at 12:15 PM on January 20, 2010

hard boil some and put them in your favorite soup; like pho!
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 12:16 PM on January 20, 2010

Traditionally and deliciously, they are boiled (I think for 2 1/2 minutes) and served with celery salt, in which the shelled eggs are dipped before eating.
posted by Gilbert Osmond at 12:17 PM on January 20, 2010

Make 18 portions of steak tartare. Break quail eggs over said steak tartare before consuming. Mmm....
posted by Dasein at 12:18 PM on January 20, 2010

Invite your friends over for Quail-Egg Soup! Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's recipe:

3 T sesame oil
12 fresh quail eggs
12 single, unblemished leaves of cilantro/Chinese parsley
1 1/2 lbs Choy Sum, escarole, or fresh spinach, trimmed
2 tsp salt
3 T veg oil
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions, trimmed and cut into fine rings, including the green bits
1 T Chinese thin soy sauce
4 c vegetable stock, steaming hot

Equipment: tongs, steamer (bamboo steamer + wok is easiest), small dishes (like the sort that Chinese restaurants use to serve soy sauce). Demitasses have also worked for me.

Get your steaming equipment ready. Be sure your boiling water stays below the floor of the steamer.

Grease your small soy-sauce dishes generously with sesame oil. Crack the quail eggs in the middle and empty a whole egg into each dish; try not to break the yolk. (You can do these in batches if you have only a few of the small dishes.) Place a single leaf of cilantro in the centre of each yolk. Put the dishes in the steamer in a single layer, set over boiling water, and steam for 2 1/2 to 4 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are set and the yolks are semihard. Remove from the steamer, uncover, and set aside.

Arrange the trimmed leafy greens so that all the stalks and stems face one direction and the leaves face the opposite direction.

Bring 8 c of water with 2 tsp salt to a rolling boil. Heat 2 T of veg oil in a wok (or skillet) over high heat. When hot, put in the garlic. Stir the garlic until it has browned. Pour in the boiling water (keep your face averted). Put in the greens in their "bundle" form. Be sure the stem ends are completely submerged. Cover and boil for 2 minutes. Drain the greens by pouring the water out of the pot. Lift the whole bundle of greens with a pair of tongs and place it on a chopping board. Working quickly, chop the greens into 3- or 4-inch lengths.

Keep working quickly! Put the scallions, soy sauce, and 1 1/2 T sesame oil in the center of a warmed soup bowl. Arrange the pieces of greens around the seasonings in such a way so that they seem to radiate from the scallions and go up the sides of the bowl. Slide the quail eggs out of their dishes and place them, cilantro leaf up, over the green nest. Pour the steaming broth over the eggs, and serve at once.

(Serves 4 - 6)
posted by Spinneret at 12:22 PM on January 20, 2010

tiny little scotch eggs?

Word, word, a thousand times word. Last year, I made quail-egg scotch eggs for Burns Night, 'cause they've got more sausage and breading per egg, and they're closer to bite-sized, so you can use 'em as an appetizer or side-dish. You want to get all Scots'd up, make 'em this Monday the 25th!
posted by Greg Nog at 12:35 PM on January 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

An adorable salad nicoise?
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:51 PM on January 20, 2010

I had some in an omelet, delicious.
posted by zeoslap at 12:54 PM on January 20, 2010

I for one, would love to have an egg toss with 18 quail eggs. I bet very few people have had an egg toss using quail eggs.
posted by parakeetdog at 1:24 PM on January 20, 2010

Boil, then pickle them with jalapenos!
posted by ktrey at 3:53 PM on January 20, 2010

A few years ago my kid went through a phase where he was fascinated with miniature versions of commonly prepared dishes and single quail egg omelettes were a big favorite. If you decide to make some, pouring the beaten egg into a ~2" round cookie or biscuit cutter resting on the frypan will keep your micro-omelette the right thickness.
posted by jamaro at 9:25 PM on January 20, 2010

Bacon and eggs. Our restaurant used to do these. One poached quail's egg, splash of buerre blanc (or melted butter), dash of sea salt and a sprinkling of lardon (small fried pieces of bacon.) Individual servings on a spoon. One of the most popular amuse bouche we did.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:58 PM on January 20, 2010

Boil, peel and add whole to meatloaf. I think it would look sweet.
posted by Feisty at 12:22 AM on January 21, 2010

Croque madame! I really miss inline images... Words cannot describe how amazing this looks.
posted by clockwork at 4:50 AM on January 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

and... for further inspiration, here's a slideshow of the making of Uovo in Raviolio, which could totally be done with quails eggs.
posted by clockwork at 4:58 AM on January 21, 2010