Name: Deep-fried Quail Eggs with Caramelised Coconut Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons shredded young coconut flesh; ½ pomelo, peeled and segmented; 200 g rice flour; 1 coconut palm heart, finely sliced; vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 1 teaspoon Chilli Jam; 8 betel leaves; 1 coconut; 2 tablespoons Fried Shallot Slices; 50 g palm sugar, shaved; 4 long-leaf (saw-tooth) coriander, shredded; 120 ml coconut cream; 40 ml fish sauce; 4 makrut lime leaves, finely shredded; 3 small red chillies, finely sliced; 1 tablespoon Tamarind Liquid; small pinch of hot chilli powder (ideally the Thai Tongue one called Blue Tongue); 2 green onions, finely sliced; 4 wing beans, finely sliced; 250 ml coconut milk; 30 g palm sugar, shaved; 1 tablespoon shredded Asian or Thai basil leaves; 8 quail eggs; 1 cup picked watercress leaves; 4 small dried chillies, roasted and ground; 30 ml fish sauce; ½ teaspoon makrut lime zest, minced; 2 teaspoons Chilli Jam; 20 ml fresh lime juice, strained; 1 tablespoon sea salt

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Fire

By Christine Manfield

Published 2008

About

This was an extremely popular dish on our vegetarian tasting menu in London, drawing its inspiration from the familiar flavours and textures of Thailand. Chicken eggs can be used instead (in which case, allow only one per serve) but I prefer the delicacy of the smaller quail eggs. Have everything ready to go before you fry the quail eggs as they need to be served as soon as they are cooked.