I first started making Korean quail eggs at home in Sens, France http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/ginger-sesame-coquelet-with-korean-quail-eggs/. The only kind of chillies I could find were those mild, French kind for babies and M. Parret. Still, the eggs were good enough to repeat and I have many times.
Today I had real, lethal, burning chillies. Asian chillies for adults. Asian, fire-eating adults and crazy old ladies from Texas 
I swear to you, I tasted one of the pieces of garlic that had just boiled along side the chillies and it “set my soul on fire.” For some odd reason that I can’t even explain to myself , I felt the need to wipe away the tears that were cascading down my face, and then had to spend 15 minutes in the bathroom, rinsing my eyes out with baby shampoo. These are truly the best Korean quail eggs I’ve ever made!
Anyway. I wanted to make quail eggs in a salad today but needed an additional item for the salad. The freezer is always happy to cooperate and I found 3 half chicken breasts from the commissary but, as my husband likes to point out, they are imports from France.
My inspiration for the barbecued chicken came from Korean Bapsang http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2012/03/dak-bulgogi-korean-bbq-chicken.html#.UUGdbxysh8H. My recipe is almost the same but I didn’t use the brown sugar and, to be honest, played fast and loose with the other ingredients. So see above link for the authentic.
Dak Bulgogi Salad
3 chicken breast halves, sliced
3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp hon-mirin
2 large cloves garlic, microplaned
1/2 inch ginger, microplaned
1 tbsp sesame oil
Mache or other salad greens
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Korean quail eggs
2 scallions, sliced
Wild sesame seeds
Peanut flavored dressing from yesterday http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/langue-de-veau-laotian/
Mix the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, hon-mirin, garlic, ginger and sesame oil together. Put the chicken slices in a zip lock bag and pour over the marinade. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.
In a hot skillet, cook and caramelize the chicken, adding 2-4 tbsp of the reserved marinade while cooking.
Place the salad greens on plates, then top with the chicken, bell pepper and quail eggs. Sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seed. Serve with peanut dressing.
That sounds fantastic. I used to eat at a little Korean restaurant in Denmark St, London. I loved the bulgogi beef, and in fact I loved all of it.
It’s all lovable Roger.
Looks absolutely delicious and those chilies appear to be wickedly hot! One day I will find a quail egg supplier here in Southern Oregon…
Thank you Tessa. The chillies are amazingly hot!
Yum! I loved that in Korea kids would eat little cups full of quails eggs as a snack in between classes. You would never see that back home in New Zealand, even aside from the fact that they’re ridiculously expensive there. So delish
Looks like you’ve done them justice too!
Thank you.
Delicious – especially the hot eggs!
Thank you Mad.
Nice! Quail eggs plentiful and cheap in Mex City, will give it a try. Sorry to hear about the chile/eyeswipe mishap.
Thank you Jon. I don’t know what I was thinking
Oh I’ve done the pepper thing before! Ouch. This looks delicious and would be wonderful with a head cold.
The eggs themselves are not that hot, it’s the garlic
Perfect as garlic is great for all sorts of ills.
A local deli in town sells quail eggs, but never sure what to do with them (other than mini scotch eggs). Interesting to see there’s specific dish that uses them – you learn something every day! Thanks.
I use quail eggs whenever I can: http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/a-little-breakfast-quail-eggs-on-toast/
Ooh that’s a very beautiful looking and sounding salad, and I adore your chili heat definitions!
Thank you Chica. I have to work on my culinary vocabulary
Lovely stuff Rosemary. The eggs are pretty spectacular.
Thank you Conor. The eggs are really good and if you wanted to make them, you could just use a milder chilli but you would be missing the goodness
Want. Now.
Want again.
You make the best salads.
Thank you Greg. That’s what my husband said
I love reading your blog because you use so many ingredients that I’ve never seen let alone had the joy of sampling. I love just imagining the exotic flavours.. What a pretty dinner!xx
Thank you Barb.
We don’t have quail eggs up here but it looks glorious. I adore a bit of bite in my food so this would be just the ticket.
You could try to see if they have them cooked and shelled in jars. Not the cans, they are no good!
Wickedly hot chilies have to be respected but it sounds like you used them in a delicious way. You must have been in pain from wiping your eyes…that had have been terrible.
I was so disgusted with myself because I know better
I love Korean meat dishes, the mixture of hotness, sweetness and savoury is simply addictive
It is rs.
That. Is. Awesome! And I agree with you: those pussy French chilis are not useful. Glad to see you got yourself some proper ones
Btw, how do you peel your eggs so cleanly?!
I gently roll them on the counter, pinch a small opening in the loosened shell, then the whole thing comes away. I like peeling them
My boiled eggs always look abused! I will try your way the next time I have some peeling to do.
Quail eggs are much easier to peel than regular eggs. They have a turtle egg like, leathery shell.