Chicken

Duck! It’s Baby Eggs in Onion Nests!

February 19, 2010
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 3-4
Author Notes

Well...after thinking a bit about those gorgeous quail eggs I came up with this recipe. —coffeefoodwrite

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Ingredients
  • Olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 1 very large or 2 medium yellow onions
  • Duck breast – cured and dried (I got mine from “Fabrique Delices” or in the alternative you could use proscuitto)
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach
  • ½ red onion
  • 3-4 quail eggs
  • Utensils: muffin tin
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Sauté red onion in enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan until translucent and slightly golden. Add spinach and a pinch of sea salt and toss lightly to coat spinach until spinach is softened and just begins to wilt. Turn off heat and set aside.
  3. Slice yellow onions as thin as possible (or use a mandolin if you have). Sauté w/ ¾ tsp. sea salt over medium high heat in enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan until crisp and deep caramel/mahogany in color (almost on the verge of getting burnt, but not quite).
  4. Take out a muffin tin and place a small portion of the browned yellow onions in each of three or four muffin tins. Press against sides to cover entire bottom and sides of tin. Add a layer of cooked spinach/red onion mixture; smooch out again and add the smoked duck breast (or proscuitto ); pressing against the sides firmly. Crack a quail egg on top of each “nest.”
  5. Bake in 400 degree oven for 7-8 minutes – until whites are cooked and yellows are still golden and silky.
  6. Remove from muffin tins (carefully) using a rounded tablespoon; top with fresh ground black pepper. Serve and enjoy!

See what other Food52ers are saying.

8 Reviews

Sagegreen December 3, 2010
A brunch delicacy!
coffeefoodwrite December 3, 2010
Thanks, Sagegreen - I'm looking forward to trying your latkes!
Sagegreen December 3, 2010
You have to enter these for the holiday breakfast!
coffeefoodwrite December 3, 2010
Thanks, I'll do that. =)
Hadyourtea? March 8, 2010
Love this - it looks gorgeous, do they hold together on the plate/
coffeefoodwrite March 8, 2010
Yes, Cooking them in the muffin tins until crunchy is what gives them their shape, and they held together well. Glad you like them!
aargersi February 19, 2010
EXCELLENT! this sounds wonderful! Keep the quail eggs comin'!!!
coffeefoodwrite February 19, 2010
Thanks, aargersi! I also liked your quail egg recipe!