Scotch Eggs with Quail

I tried these bite size Scotch eggs in Hawaii once. I found out they were made with quail eggs, of course. That is why they were so good. Quail eggs are readily available in California. You can find them often really fresh at the farmer's market or Asian stores. They have become a favorite in the house and I use them in so many recipes specially in Chinese cooking. Now, whenever I make Scotch eggs I use them instead of chicken eggs. They make ideal bite size tapas or appetizers. You can dip the whole egg easily in aioli or any preferred sauce.

This is a recipe for 12 eggs. Boil water and cook them for at least 7 minutes. Then peel off the shells and wash in running water to rid of tiny bits of eggshells stuck to the eggs.

These eggs can be fiddly to peel but I found an easy way. Tap the egg all over with the back of a spoon and pinch a loose end and peel like you do with a mandarin orange. For the meat to cover you will need about 1 1/2 cup of ground chicken mixed with a sprig of parsley, 1/4 cup of pecorino or parmigiano cheese, 1 spoonful of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of egg white, black pepper and salt to taste. Grind everything to the consistency of meatball.

1 tablespoon of the ground meat will cover the entire egg nicely. Spoon the meat and put in a plate of flour to dust so you can handle the sticky meat and form a pancake about 3 inches in diameter. This should neatly encase the egg. Roll them in beaten eggs and then breadcrumbs. Fry in medium heat until golden brown. These will make excellent hors d'oeuvres for any party. 

Enjoy!