Week 12: Tiny Poached Quail Eggs

I found myself near a Whole Foods recently (there are none where I live) and popped in to see if they had anything unusual. Lo and behold, in the bulk egg section (which was across the store from the packaged eggs) I found quail eggs! I have been searching for these, as my local supermarkets don’t seem to carry them anymore.

I’d never tried a quail egg before, but they’re so teeny tiny and cute, a bunch of ideas came to mind. Mini deviled eggs? Adorable appetizer. Mini pickled eggs? A tiny treat. Hard boiled quail eggs? Perfect snack or addition to soup.

The possibilities could go on for a while, so let’s just say I settled on poaching them. In an attempt to be somewhat healthy and also not go to the store to buy more ingredients, I served them simply – on a bed of organic spring greens with goat cheese, freshly cracked pepper, and fleur de sel. They were perfectly bite sized and oh so creamy. Quail eggs taste like chicken eggs, except more rich.

There’s something to be said about simplicity, however if you want to make a more indulgent version of poached quail eggs, try placing them on tiny slices of toasted bread and make homemade hollandaise sauce to top it off. That would be an impressive appetizer!

Simple Poached Quail Eggs

• 1/4 C distilled white vinegar
• Quail eggs (as many as you would like)
• Spring greens
• Goat cheese
• Pepper to taste
• Fleur de sel to taste

To poach the quail eggs:

fill a small saucepan about 3/4 full with water. Bring to a simmer and add vinegar. Crack quail egg and gently add to the water one a time, opening them as close to the water surface as possible. Cook for 1 minute, then scoop out of pot with a slotted spoon. Place in a bowl of cold water to stop it from cooking more.

To serve:

Arrange a small bed of greens on a plate. Add a small dollop of goat cheese, then place a poached egg on top. Sprinkle fleur de sel and freshly cracked pepper on top.