SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #360

[Ceridwen]

>    Someone asked "where do you get quail eggs?" and I never saw a
> response
> to that.  The only way I know to get quails eggs (other than paying a
> very
> high price for them in a specialty shop - IF you can find them!) is to
> raise
> Coturnix Quail (specially adapted to living in captivity) and collect
> the
> eggs yourself.  I had a cockerel and 3 hens once-upon-a-time, and kept
> them
> in a bird cage in the kitchen.  The males can be QUITE loud!  And the
> shells
> on those itty bitty eggs are the thickest and toughest things to get
> off I
> ever saw!  You have to REALLY WANT quail's eggs to go through that
> much effort.
>    To be honest, when I owned the quail, I didn't realize what a
> delicacy
> the eggs were, and found them to be more of a bother than an asset.  I
> just
> thought the birds were cute.
> -Laurene

Greetings all from Ceridwen;

    I hadn't seen any reply about the quail's eggs either. I was about
to suggest the same idea, I have been raising Cotournix Quail now for
about a year, caged in the backyard. You are right about the
roosters..(my son says they say "trick or treat") being loud, but all in
all they are a delight to raise.  The only ones i"ve had in the house
were hatchlings too young to go outside yet, and the occaisional
"nursing care".  Yes, the shells are tough, but like chicken eggs, you
must not cook them too fresh, and running them under cold water while
peeling is a help. I did a dish of roasted quail garnished with their
eggs for Art-Sci this past June and scored very well. It seems I have
the local SCA hooked on the eggs... I cook and peel several dozen before
events and put them out  for munchies with lunch.... so far no feastcrat
has objected (I always ask).
    I have found many recipes for quail in medieval cooking, but none so
far for the eggs.. although I suspect they were raised in captivity even
then. One feast manifest calls for 100 dozen quail, in January. I can't
imagine trying to net that many in one hunting party, or several even. I
have found directions for feeding "small birds" betwen capture and
slaughter, though.
    I suppose I could get quail eggs to someone who wanted them.....in
small quantities, (it's molting season and they don't lay as well now.
Most hatcheries do carry them... check Mother Earth News classifieds...
catalogs are free... and live birds are available... not terribly
pricey. The price goes up dramatically for dressed birds.... now that
I've dressed a few I know why!!!!.

Ceridwen
ceridwen at commnections.com



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