Kelly Boehling Explains how to handle quail eggs and delicious ideas for eating them.
Quail eggs are delicious and versatile
Quail eggs are small, spotted gems that you’ve likely seen at your local co-op or Asian food market. They come in small, clear plastic egg cartons. You’ll be tempted to buy them for their appeal alone, but what can you actually do with quail eggs?
Simply put, you can do anything with a quail egg that you do with a medium chicken egg. Quail eggs can be soft-boiled, soft-boiled, fried, boiled, scrambled, or used in baking recipes. Fried quail eggs can be a topping on an English muffin, or a shine in the Korean dish, bibimbap. Hard-boiled eggs make quick bite-size snacks, great grainy eggs, or delicious pickled eggs, and are tasty additions to curries, miso soups, and salads. If your local grocer does not sell quail eggs, someone who keeps quails in your area may be willing to sell you a few dozen eggs. Once you try it, you may decide to raise quails on your own!
Straightening and cleaning eggs
The recommended storage time for quail eggs is about six weeks, but if you have several batches of quail eggs laid at different times, it can be difficult to keep track of the length of each batch in the refrigerator. Fortunately, there are several ways to determine the freshness of an egg.
Buoyancy test
Fill a large bowl with room temperature water and gently place the eggs into the bowl. Good eggs will sink to the bottom, while any eggs beyond their start will float with the pointy end down. Throw away floating eggs, as they are not safe to eat.
sniff test
Sometimes, the eggs will develop damage that is difficult to see, especially against the spotted shell pattern. The cracks leave the eggs vulnerable to infection and rapid spoilage, even if they are relatively fresh. These eggs will have a noticeably unpleasant odor, and the yolks may have a brownish tint. Always be aware of the appearance and smell of eggs that you open and use to cook.
To wash or not to wash
A clean coop will keep your eggs clean. Any eggs you collect should not be washed prior to storage. Realistically though, you can still find some dirty eggs, as the quail lay them all over the coop, rather than in one specific spot. If the eggs need to be cleaned, wash them gently under warm water with a soft cloth and a piece of dish soap. Use little pressure, as the shells are paper thin. ignore any crack. Allow the eggs to air dry on a towel before storing them in the refrigerator.
Egg washing removes any dirt and debris, but it also removes a protective layer called the bloom, which helps seal the moisture in the egg and protect it from external pathogens. Therefore, washed eggs have a shorter shelf life, even in the refrigerator. If you’re buying eggs from someone else, ask them if they’ve been washed, to give you a better idea of ​​their shelf life.
How to open quail eggs
Opening quail eggs requires a different approach than opening chicken eggs: a chicken egg has a hard shell and a thin membrane, while a quail egg has a very thin shell and a tough membrane.
Some recommend using a serrated knife to open the egg, moving it in a sawing motion across the shell until it cuts. In my experience, quail eggshells are too slick for this method, and you risk cutting your fingers in the process. Instead, use a steak knife or a small paring knife. Holding the egg in your left hand, cut the “karate” crosswise across the egg from about an inch above the egg. This will not be sufficient to cut through the membrane, but it will break the veneer in a relatively clean cross line. Next, take the tip of the knife and gently cut the notch, cut through the membrane and allow you to gently peel off the shell and pour the egg into a bowl. The yolk should look full and round, while the white should be thick and clear. Throw away the eggs if the yolk or white has changed color, or if they smell bad.
Use in recipes
Although quail eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs, you can still use them in any recipe that calls for eggs. A ratio of 5 to 1 quail eggs to chicken eggs is common. Using quail eggs also makes recipes for halving or quartering very easy and convenient, especially when the reduction calls for a small portion of an egg.
Open the quail eggs in a separate bowl before mixing them with the other ingredients in case any fragments of the shell fall in with the egg. The shells are very thin, so once a bit has fallen into the batter, it’s almost impossible to find.
Separate the yolks
Some recipes call for separating the yolks from the whites. Quail egg whites contain more protein than chicken eggs, which makes quail whites very sticky. I have found that quail eggs separate better when they are at room temperature. Cold quail egg whites are thick and viscous, clinging tightly to the yolks.
Angel food cake is the only recipe that gives me trouble. It requires 60 eggs, separated, without any mixing of yolks and whites. The fat in the yolk will prevent the egg from being sufficiently aerated when whipped, which will remove the light and flavourful texture.
Boiled quail eggs
Wash and clean the eggs before boiling. Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place the eggs in a long slotted spoon, and place them gently in the pot. To keep the yolk in the center of the shell (which is especially helpful when making rotten eggs), gently stir the water as you cook the eggs. The eggs reach a soft boil after 2 to 3 minutes, and to a strong boil after 4 or 5 minutes. Lift the eggs with the slotted spoon into a colander and rinse with cold water. Let them cool completely before attempting to peel. Quail eggs will tolerate a slight over-boiling, but this results in a tough, chewy egg.
Peeling eggs
To peel hard-boiled eggs, gently slit the rounded side against the sink and press against the core membrane. This is the end of the air bag, and it should provide a little more surface area to start peeling without catching the egg whites. Under cool running water, gently peel the rind (the membrane really) away in a spiral motion. It takes a little practice, but the entire casing and membrane will come off in one long, spiraling strip. As with chicken eggs, the fresher they are, the harder this part can be.
Another way to remove the shell of quail eggs is to let them soak in white vinegar for a few hours. The crust is so thin that the vinegar dissolves it completely. The films will still need to be removed, but it is much easier without the case. Vinegar soaking can make eggs taste bad if soaked for too long, so test an egg periodically every half hour or so.
A vinegar soak is especially useful when the eggs are meant for pickling. Even if they pick up a vinegary flavor from soaking, they will eventually be covered in the flavors of the brine and herbs.
Pickled eggs
Recycle pickled brine
A quick and easy way to scramble quail eggs is to use the brine left in your pickle jars after eating the contents. The brine in a jar of dill pickle is more than enough to mix an entire jar of quail eggs. All the spices from the previous pickle occupants create a mouthwatering batch of quail eggs.
Make your own saline solution
To make your brine from scratch, use a 1 to 1 ratio of vinegar to water, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt for every cup of liquid, and plenty of herbs and spices of your choice. I prefer using white vinegar although some recipes call for apple cider vinegar. Fresh or dried dill is one of my favorite toppings, and I also add peppercorns, fennel seeds, a few minced fresh garlic cloves, and either dried chili peppers or fresh jalapeños (any chili pepper will do). Other herbs like marjoram, parsley, and celery seeds make great additions. Experiment to find your perfect blend.
After collecting the brine, add the boiled and peeled quail eggs. Store in the refrigerator and leave to marinate for about two weeks. It will be hard not to gobble them down early, but the longer they soak in their salty flavors, the better.
Quail eggs are delightfully versatile in cooking and baking, and are a charming addition to any meal. They are becoming easy to find in grocery stores and from local farmers, and were one of the main reasons I decided to raise quail myself. Even a small colony of quail will provide you with dozens of eggs each week to enjoy and share with friends.
Kelly Boehling Born in Lawrence, Kansas. She works as a classical violinist, but between gigs and lessons, she’s out in the garden or spending time with her animals, including quail and French Angora rabbits. Kellie spins angora fiber from her rabbits into knitting yarn. She enjoys finding ways her animals and her garden can benefit each other for a more sustainable urban home.