TIPS FOR COOKING & PEELING
Poached & Steam Fried
All quail eggs have thin shells over a very tough membrane – Garden Quail Eggs are no exception, although the shells on our eggs tend to be slightly thicker than on intensively farmed quail eggs. Nevertheless, a quail egg will rarely crack with the satisfying cleanliness that can be achieved with a hen’s egg. For this reason, we recommend that Garden Quail Eggs for poaching or frying are always broken into a cup or saucer before cooking, so you can retrieve any shell fragments.
Poached Fresh Garden Quail Eggs
Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan. Turn heat down to medium. Crack the egg into a cup. Gently stir the water to create a vortex and slip the egg into the centre. After 30 seconds, gently stir to recreate the vortex, which will help to maintain the shape of the egg. After 30 further seconds, remove the egg carefully using a small sieve or a tea strainer.
If keeping to use in a recipe dish later, the poached egg may be carefully transferred to a bowl of cold water and re heated by quickly placing again in boiling water for 15 seconds when needed.
Steam Fried Garden Quail Eggs
A fresh Garden Quail Egg will form a pretty little ‘mountain’ when fried, provided the egg is no more than a day or two old. Simply heat a small amount of butter in a non stick frying pan which has a tight fitting lid (a glass lid is ideal) until it is fairly hot. Break the egg into a cup or saucer then slip quickly into the pan. Leave the lid off for a few seconds to allow the edges of the egg to crisp up, then turn the heat down to a simmer and place the lid on. Check every 10 seconds or so until the top of the egg is cooked – much easier and quicker if you can see through the lid.
