Quail eggs, any tips?

[Minimammoth]

I have just been given a dozen, other than boiling, any ideas? From past experience shells are very tough too. Tips appreciated.

I've only ever boiled them and had them with celery salt or toasted sesame seeds - yum! One useful tip that someone told me is to dunk them in ice cold water before peeling, it does make it a lot easier.

I'm sure they'd be lovely poached on toast as well.

Hard boiled with curry mayonnaise, yum!

There's a very poncy elegant recipe in the Great British Bake-off for mince pies with quail egg in the centre.

I've sometimes had soup in posh restaurants with a poached quail egg or two floating in it (hard to use up lots that way mind you)

Thank you. I don't think I can be bothered with the mince pie baking, but the curry mayo sounds good and easy.
I might have a go at poaching.

Not mince pie sorry, pork pie! Not the easiest thing to throw together!

Ah! I thought mince pie- quail egg combo was a bit avant-guard.

mini scotch eggs are really easy. Boil the eggs, cover in sausage meat, bake. You can be more traditional and coat them in breadcrumbs and deep fry but I hate breaded food and am scared of deep frying (too many 80s safety films about how chip pans = instant death in fire).

Oooo. Good idea Armadillo. My DH is gluten free so breadcrumbs are out. The Q eggs are v.cute. How long would you bake?

I was going to say mini scotch eggs tool, but my version has them wrapped in pâté , not sausage meat. And then bread crumbs, but that's out for you I guess. With the pate vs the sausage meat it safe to eat without cooking/ frying, though we've done it where I've warmed then in a pan rather than deep fry.

Shells aren't tough but they are annoyingly to peel
Not as bad as trying to gut a quail though

My kids used to love a nest made on a base of toast with pâté and the eggs inside.

Fry gently in butter, keep yolks runny, serve with asparagus.

Allalonenow. How did you manage to crack 'em into the pan? I thought I would try 'fry gently in butter' tapped shell as you do, the shell cracked and crunched but inner liner stayed in tact. Tried breaking this to total egg collapse and bits of shell everywhere. What did I do wrong?

I'd say hard boil and serve with celery salt
or make mini fried eggs for children
or mini scotch eggs

I do a lovely breakfasty/brunchy slice with them as a treat.

Get a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and score the edges. Lay over some slices of pancetta/thin streaky bacon and slices of tomatoes. Then make a few gaps within the bacon and tomatoes that you can crack a few quail eggs into. Lots of black pepper then chuck in a hot oven. If you wanted to ensure very runny eggs, then let the tart cook a bit and add them a bit later.

That sounds fab Apollo. But how do you crack the eggs? I really struggled as the shells just crunched up.
Have used them all now, but might be given more. Nice neighbour has quail.

Mini scotch eggs but role in sesame seeds rather than breadcrumbs before frying.

Cook in batches and freeze some. When you're going on a bit of a journey just take a few out the freezer with you for a snack and they defrost on route.

I use a sharp paring knife to sort of pierce the shells and pull them apart.

Ah. Thanks apollo