Quail Scotch Eggs

Rick and I were at the Asian grocery store in Omaha and saw fresh quail eggs. We still had some Jones Dairy Farm breakfast sausage in the fridge and thought it would be fun to make mini Scotch eggs. They were easy to make and very tasty.

Honestly, I did try to make this with chukar eggs that our neighbor gave us. But after boiling them, the darn shell would not budge without ripping the white parts. I'm not sure why that happened, but I have read that when eggs are too fresh, and these were very fresh, the shells tend to stick. 

In the United States, I think eggs can keep up to 2 months. They may sit in a warehouse for a month before actually hitting the store. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but the store bought quail eggs definitely peeled much easier.

Scotch eggs are a traditional picnic food that originated in the United Kingdom. They are tasty hot or cold. The mini eggs would make great appetizers as well. The dried tarragon is our own touch, which added a gentle anise-like flavor to the eggs. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 10 mini Scotch Eggs
Ingredients:  
- About 10 quail eggs
- 12-ounce roll of breakfast sausage
- 1 tablespoon of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon
- 1/2 cup of Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Gently lower quail eggs into the water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove eggs and run cold water over them to cool. 
When cool enough to handle, carefully peel the quail eggs.  

2. In a medium bowl, combine breakfast sausage, parsley, paprika, cayenne and tarragon. 
Place about 3 tablespoon of the sausage mixture in the palm of your hand. Flatten it out and place a cooked, peeled quail egg in the middle.  

Gently work the sausage around the egg, encasing the egg and sealing it completely. 

Place eggs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.  

3. Prepare your dredging station by placing the beaten egg, breadcrumbs and flour in separate bowls.  

Lightly roll Scotch egg in flour, shaking off excess. Then dip it in the beaten egg and then cover completely with breadcrumbs.  Place the dredged Scotch egg back onto the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the quail eggs.  


4. In the meantime, heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 375º Fahrenheit. Deep fry eggs until golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. They are very crispy when you eat them fresh, but they will be hot! 


Scotch eggs are also tasty cold, though they won't stay crispy. Pack them for your next picnic or lunch! 

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