Quail Eggs, Poached in Light Cream Sauce

Knowing how to cook soft boiled quail eggs is a fundamental skill that every cook should possess. Quail eggs work well in salads, soups, curries, stews, and as mini snacks or canapés.  

Quail eggs cook quickly and can be used in a variety of dishes.

Why not soft boil them?

Hardboiled quail eggs are not the proper method of preparation.  

A perfectly cooked quail egg has a perfectly set white and a runny creamy yolk. Nothing else will do, and it is extremely specific.  

So is the time required to prepare soft boiled eggs.

How long does cooking take?

A regular-sized quail egg takes exactly 2 minutes and 20 seconds to soft boil to perfection.

It may appear as simple as putting a pot of water on the stove, turning it on, dropping the eggs in, and setting the timer.  

IT’S NOT

You must follow each step precisely.

Otherwise, you'll have either raw or rock-solid eggs. We want perfection, and only perfection will suffice.

So, let's get started.

Lower them into the water with a slotted spoon or spider to keep them from breaking.

How to Do It

1. Pot of boiling water - As simple as it sounds, many people are unaware of what boiling water looks like. In case of emergency Bring a litre of water to a boil in a small pot. Alternatively, boil a kettle and pour it into the small pot, then turn the heat to medium-high so that the water boils but not vigorously.
2. Sort the eggs by size - You must use average-sized quail eggs because the size of some free-range quail eggs varies dramatically. A quail egg is about one-fifth the size of a medium/large hen's egg. Quail eggs range in weight from 8 to 15 grams. The most common size is about 12 grams. For this cooking time, use this size. Smaller eggs will take less time, while larger eggs will take longer. Cooking time is increased or decreased by approximately 10 seconds per gram.
3. Begin cooking once the water is boiling and the eggs have been sorted by size. Set your timer and carefully place the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon or a regular spoon. Remember that they must all go in at the same time, so carefully slide them into the water with a large spoon or something similar, such as a soup bowl. Some may break, but don't be concerned. There are a lot of bad things in the world. Set the timer for 2 minutes and 20 seconds as soon as they hit the water.
4. Cool them down quickly - When the timer goes off, you pounce like a tiger and pull them out of the water. The simplest method is to simply drain the water by carefully pouring it out. Run cold tap water over the eggs right away to help them cool down as quickly as possible. Even better, throw them in some ice water. That is what the pros do, but not everyone always has ice at home. I don't, and I'm a professional))
5. Peeling the quail eggs - Once cool, carefully peel the soft boiled quail eggs, taking care not to break them. Serve immediately with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, or store in the fridge for later use.  

Suggestions for serving

WOW a lot of things So, I'll list a few of my own recipes that you could add it to, as well as some other ideas you could try.

• Salads - Substitute soft boiled quail eggs for the chicken eggs in this salmon salad, or add to this warm uncured bacon salad. A few soft boiled quail eggs go well with Caesar salad. You could even use quail eggs instead of chicken eggs to make Caesar dressing.
• Soups - Just before serving, Add a few soft-boiled quail eggs to the mix. It adds texture and richness to the dish. Add it to this summer chanterelle mushroom soup or this Ukrainian borscht. Consider this baked eggs recipe and imagine the entire pan filled with quail eggs. Even I, a big dude, can see the cute in that)
• Breakfast - Soft boiled eggs and cured salmon with toasted sourdough bread or sourdough pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts. Always with cream cheese and chives. An oldie but a goodie Consider this baked eggs recipe and imagine the entire pan filled with quail eggs. Even I, a big dude, see the cute in that)
• Curries and stews - Try this Viking stew or this Filipino beef adobo as a base. This Massaman curry or this coconut chicken curry are both delicious.
• Small batch recipes - I'll finish with a fantastic use for quail eggs. Most baked dessert recipes, such as this carrot cake, this cherry tart, or this lovely Russian honey cake, call for eggs, which are far too large for a double serving. Which is what many people desire. Just a smaller version So, using quail eggs solves that problem because, well, they are smaller, and you can easily scale the recipe down because they only weigh one-fifth of what chicken eggs do.  
• My personal favorite - This is a BONUS! It works with any egg, but quail eggs are best if you like sea urchins. Those of you who are familiar with Japanese cuisine will understand where I'm going with this. Pour a small spoon of excellent soy sauce over soft-boiled quail eggs and watch the magic happen. If you make your own soy sauce, as I do, you are in for a real treat. The combination of egg and soy is a match made in heaven.

Using koji, you can easily make your own soy sauce at home. Message me on Instagram and I'll tell you how.

Commonly Asked Questions

This recipe requires the following equipment:

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