How to Eat Quail Eggs

Quail eggs are gaining a following, as more and more people begin to enjoy the pretty shells and high mineral and protein content. You can purchase quail eggs at farmers’ markets, Asian markets and some specialty markets. They can be cooked and eaten much like chicken eggs, or used as a garnish for fancier dishes. The cooking times should be adjusted since the average quail egg is just 9 grams, and the average chicken egg weighs approximately 50 grams.

Steps

Boiling Quail Eggs

Heat a small saucepan two-thirds full of water on the stove. Bring it to a boil.

Place three or four quail eggs inside a large slotted spoon or pasta-serving spoon. Lower them into the water.

Boil the eggs until they reach the desired doneness. Quail eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs, so they require shorter boiling times. The following are the times for different consistencies of boiled eggs:
- Boil for two minutes if you want soft boiled eggs with the yolk still runny.
- Boil for two and a half minutes for a soft-boiled egg.
- Boil for three minutes for a medium boiled egg.
- Boil for four minutes for a hard-boiled egg. The yolk will be completely set.

Remove your eggs with a slotted spoon.

Make an ice bath in a bowl with some water and ice cubes. Set the eggs in the water for five minutes.

Peel your eggs very carefully. Serve immediately. These eggs can be eaten by themselves, used in recipes or served as a garnish.

Pickling Quail Eggs

Purchase a pack of at least 24 quail eggs, so that you can do an entire batch.

Fill a medium saucepan with cold water. Add the eggs to the saucepan. The water must cover the eggs.

Heat the saucepan on high until it reaches a boil. When it does, remove the saucepan from the heat and place the lid on the pan. Allow the eggs to sit in the pan for three minutes.

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon.
- Place them in an ice bath.

Place the eggs in another bowl. Fill the bowl with distilled white vinegar, using enough to cover the eggs.
- Refrigerate the eggs overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

Remove the eggs from the refrigerator. Pinch the base to gather the membrane. Then, peel it away.

Fill your saucepan with one sliced beet, two cups (473ml) of distilled white vinegar, four tsp. (17g) of granulated sugar and one tsp. (1.8g) of red pepper flakes.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil until it reaches a deep red. This should take about 20 minutes.

Remove the beet from the mixture with a slotted spoon.

Place the eggs in a bowl. Pour the beet colored pickling juice over the eggs until covered. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for seven hours to pickle.^[1]

Eat the eggs within one week. Store them in an airtight canning jar.^[2]

Fried Quail Eggs

Pour two tbsp. (30ml) of oil into a non-stick pan. Use a small pan or medium sized pan.

Turn the burner to medium-high heat. Wait until the oil is just smoking.

Insert a knife into the top of the shell. Only insert it about one cm, so you don’t break the yolk. Quail eggshells are slightly harder to crack than chicken eggs, although it is fairly easy to break the yolk.