Scotch Quail Eggs

Submitted by Late Night Gourmet

"I've made scotch eggs, but I find that the huge size (1/4 pound of pork for each egg) is quite a commitment in terms of how much you have to eat. Quail eggs need about 1 1/2 ounces of sausage per egg, and so are more snack-sized. But, the eggs themselves are tough to work with because they're so delicate. Still, the effort is well worth the time."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 12

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pepper, freshly ground
• 1 lb lean pork
• 10 quail eggs
• 1 egg
• 1⁄2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
• 1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 4 ounces canola oil

directions

1. Toast fennel seeds on stove, keeping them moving constantly, until they turn a golden brown color, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then grind in spice grinder. Combine with salt, pepper, and parsley in small cup.
2. If grinding your own pork, trim fat from pork and cut into 1" cubes.
3. Combine the blend from Step 1 with the pork. If grinding your own pork, put in freezer (along with all grinder components except for the motor) for 1 hour before using in meat grinder. If not, then refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Start to heat up oil in deep fryer or pan deep enough to toally cover eggs, until it reaches 350°F.
5. Place eggs in a pot of cold water that just covers the eggs. Heat until the water achieves a rolling boil. Remove pot from heat immediately, cover, and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water and immerse in ice water. NOTE: this gives the eggs a soft center. Allow to rest for 5 minutes to hard boil.
6. NOTE: quail eggs are incredibly hard to peel when soft boiled due to the thin shell. To peel egg shell, tap the bottom of one egg to crack it. Use a spoon to carefully peel the shell away from the egg while rotating the egg. Repeat for each egg. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. If grinding your own pork, remove pork from the freezer and grind.
8. Divide the sausage into equal portions and flatten into a disc shape in the palm of your hand. Place the egg in the center of the disc and carefully wrap the sausage around them, ensuring that there are no openings.
9. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Whisk the remaining egg in another bowl. Roll each sausage wrapped egg in the egg wash to fully coat, then roll in the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
10. Place sausage wrapped eggs in the fryer so they aren't touching, for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice to create mustard sauce.