Quail Egg Brunch Bites

Contrary to propaganda from breakfast lobbyists, brunch is the most important meal of the day. When you invite people over for brunch you can get away with making any kind of food you want. Plus, brunch implies good company and free time in the middle of the day.

You can make brunch even more exciting by going miniature.

Here are three tiny brunch bites you can easily make out of quail eggs: deviled eggs, scotch eggs, and sausage egg biscuits.

Whether you could really use a good brunch to lift your spirits or have way more quail eggs than you know what to do with, these delicious bites will help.

I have always loved deviled eggs. These little versions are just the right amount of deviled egg in one adorable bite. You can season these with whatever you'd like; I went traditional:

Ingredients:

• 12 Quail Eggs
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Green Onions as garnish

Directions:

1. Bring three cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan

2. Drop the quail eggs in the boiling water and boil for 4 minutes

3. Take the pan off the heat and run it under cold water for 2 minutes

4. Peel the eggs (Doing this under running water may help. The first one is tricky, but you'll get the hang of it)

5. Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolk into a separate bowl (I find it's easiest to do this with my fingers)

6. Mix remaining ingredients into the yolks with a fork. Start with 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise and add until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.

7. Cut off the corner of a plastic bag and insert a frosting piping tip. Use a spatula to scoop the yolk mixture into the bag.

8. Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg halves

9. Garnish with more paprika and sliced green onions, if desired.

Scotch eggs are a magical combination of egg wrapped in sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs, and cooked until crispy on the outside and soft in the center.

Ingredients:

• 12 Quail Eggs
• 1 cup ground sausage of choice
• Paprika and Nutmeg, if desired
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 Chicken Egg (or five more quail eggs), beaten
• Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions:

1. Bring three cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan

2. Drop 12 quail eggs into the water and boil for no more than 2 minutes

3. Remove pan from the heat and put it under cold running water for 2 minutes

4. Peel the quail eggs. Be very delicate, as they are still very soft at this point and you don't want to squish all the delicious yolk out.

5. If desired, season the sausage with paprika, cayenne, and any other seasonings you would like to spice things up. Mix the sausage with a fork or your hands.

6. Take a quail egg sized piece of sausage in your hands (you may want to put some flour on your hands first) and press it with your fingers until it is a thin disk. Place a quail egg in the middle and gently fold and roll the sausage around it (Again, the eggs are very squishable, so take your time).

7. Once all your eggs are coated in sausage, roll them with flour, coat them with the beaten egg mixture, and then roll in panko crumbs until well coated. At this point you can cook them right away or refrigerate until you're ready to use them (preferably no more than 24 hours).

8. You can deep fry the scotch eggs for an authentic crunch and gooey center, or bake them for some semblance of health consciousness. Bake on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 12-15 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through. If you like your eggs hard boiled you can bake for as long as 20 minutes.

This quintessential breakfast food is even better when you can fit the whole thing in your mouth at once. I haven't included amounts on the sausage and cheese because it really depends on the size of your cutter and/or appetite. Enough to fill your sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 12 Quail Eggs
• Biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury grands, but you can also make your own dough if you prefer)
• Ground Sausage
• Cheese
• Sriracha or Tobasco if desired

Directions:

1. Use a small biscuit cutter (about 1 inch diameter) to cut mini biscuits out of your dough. Bake at 350°F on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack until the other ingredients are ready.

2. Press your ground sausage down to about 1/4" thick on a sheet of parchment paper (or directly on your counter or cutting board if you don't mind the cleanup later). Using either the same biscuit cutter or one just bigger in size (to account for the sausage shrinking while cooking), cut rounds out of your sausage. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat until browned on both sides and cooked through. If you want cheese on your sandwiches, put it on the sausage rounds for the last minute or so of cooking so it will melt.

3. Place the same biscuit cutter as step one in a greased frying pan over medium heat. Crack an egg into the cutter. When the white of the egg is white all the way through, remove the cutter and flip the egg (it will retain its shape). Cook egg as desired. If you aren't going to serve these sandwiches right away, you may want to err on the side of over-easy so you can reheat them without getting rubbery eggs. Cook the rest of the eggs the same way.

4. Assemble the sandwiches, adding hot sauce if desired (you can also let your guests do this themselves as they eat).

Once you've made your teeny tiny brunch foods, put them on pretty plates on top of mason jars of varying heights on a piece of artfully arranged fabric (not strictly necessary, but would make Martha proud).

I like to serve finger foods with tiny spears, swords, or toothpicks. This makes them easier to eat and also much more exciting.

Now your supply of quail eggs in the fridge is much smaller and you have made the cutest of all brunches.

Enjoy!