Quail eggs

Once a hard-to-fmd delicacy and quite expensive, these attractive, small, dark-speckled eggs are now quite common because of the increase in quail farming. Often eaten soft-or hard-boiled, they are extremely difficult to shell when still warm so you need to allow plenty of time for this if serving them at a dinner party. The traditional accompaniment to hard-boiled quail eggs is a sprinkling of celery salt.

Quail eggs make perfect cocktail snacks or starters – one idea might be to serve a selection of quail egg dishes as a starter; for instance, tiny individual eggs Benedict, miniature omelets filled with cream cheese and tied with a chive stalk, poached quail eggs in small pastry cases and soft-boiled quail eggs arranged on salad greens.