It may be difficult to find quail eggs., but if you do, it will be a treat.
I bought these fresh, little jewels at one of my favorite food stores in town, Star Provisions. The Chef/owners, Annie Quatrano & Clifford Harrison, have a farm just south of Atlanta and sometimes have enough from their harvest to share with those of us who aren't dining in one of their several award-winning restaurants.
They need barely 3 minutes of cooking, with a quick running bath of cold water to cool them down. Peel them carefully. I crack them gently all around, then start peeling at the bottom , where there is a natural air pocket. It's almost like peeling an orange....round and round and the winner gets it all in one strip!
I imagined a petite deviled egg with specks of fresh basil pesto mayonaise, but the reality of it is, it would require a delicate hand and I simply do not have the patience or the petite hands. If it were breakfast, I might poach them alongside a rasher of maple laced sausage bits on a bed of farmhouse sugo.
In the end, and because I was hungry for something light and lunch-like, I put together my next best favorite- a simple salad with fresh greens, Olivada Olive Pesto, and a splash of lemon. Thanks, Annie.
Buon appetito!
copyright 2008 Alisa Barry
