pantone801

Hard-boiled Quail Eggs with Salt Flakes

// December 19th, 2010 // Food

Brisbane has had some very unseasonable miserable weather over the past few weeks, with only a few perfect days. We should not complain; the rain is good for the grass and the dams are all full so we won’t have to worry about water restrictions for a few years. But it is also summer, and I want to laze about in the sun, play golf and go to the beach.
The good thing about the inclement weather is that it puts me in an eating mood. And today I made home-made dukkah with fresh turkish bread, and hard-boiled eggs with salt flakes. The salt flakes I used are Sel Gris de Guérande that I picked up from Gewurzhaus on a recent trip to Melbourne. The salt flakes are:

Whole damp mineral sea salt from the prestigious salt ponds of Guerande, France, are completely natural and unrefined, harvested using traditional Celtic methods. The salt’s colour comes from the exceptional French clay lining the ponds. Very soft yet flavourful, this salt is best used towards the end of cooking or on the table.

I picked up the Quail eggs from the new Coorparoo Markets this morning. I was excited that Brisbane finally has a dedicated farmers market, but was let down by the poor quality of produce there. I would recommend staying away; especially from level 2.

ingredients:
6-12 fresh quail eggs
salt flakes
chilled chardonnay

Gently prick the blunt ends of the eggs, place them in a saucepan and cover with cold water. As the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and leave them in the water to continue cooking for exactly 4½ minutes. Rinse under cold water, and serve with salt flakes and glasses of Chardonnay.