Mustard Deviled Quail Eggs with Smoked Salmon (Oeuf Mimosa Recipe)

Oeuf mimosa (”deviled egg” in English) is a first course (or appetizer) made of hard cooked eggs from which the egg yolks have been removed and mixed with mayonnaise and herbs and then filled back into the egg white.

Deviled eggs are a very common French bistro dish but instead of using large chicken eggs, I used quail eggs. There are simple rules on how to boil quail eggs. The freshness of the eggs is very important. Remove the eggs from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking to bring them back to room temperature, then cover them with cold salted water and add a hint of vinegar. Egg shells are porous and by salting the water, the eggs will already be seasoned; the vinegar helps the egg whites coagulate in case they break while boiling.

The eggs are usually dressed with anchovies rolled into a ring with a caper or olive on top. Today I wanted to glam them up though, so I served the deviled eggs with smoked salmon and dill. Our guests love the mini appetizers and so will you if you give this recipe a try!

1. Info for Mustard Deviled Quail Eggs with Smoked Salmon (Oeuf Mimosa Recipe)

• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Servings: 60
• Calories: 120kcal

2. Ingredients for Mustard Deviled Quail Eggs with Smoked Salmon (Oeuf Mimosa Recipe)

• 30 quail eggs
• 1 (chicken) egg yolk
• juice of a lemon (or white vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon horseradish mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup canola oil (or any neutral oil), + 2 tablespoons if necessary
• 2 teaspoons French tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dill, chopped, + extra for garnish
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
• 2 slices smoked salmon, diced
• 30 mini-cheese crackers (optional)

3. Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk. Add 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice (or vinegar) and the horseradish mustard.
2. Stir continuously and slowly add the oil, a little at a time until fully combined. Whisk until emulsified. Add cayenne pepper, finely chopped tarragon, dill, salt and pepper.
3. Let sit at room temperature.
4. Place the eggs in a saucepan. Cover them with water. As soon as the water reaches a full boil, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and let the quail eggs sit for about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath. Cool the eggs completely.
5. Crack the shell and roll them by gently pressing them for easy shell peeling. Rinse the eggs, in case there is any shell stuck to the egg, then cut in half.
6. Remove the cooked egg yolks from the quail eggs. Mash them using the back of a fork and add to the mayonnaise. Place the filling in a piping bag. Pipe or spoon the filling into the cavities of the quail egg whites.
7. On a serving platter, place the miniature cheese crackers. Top with a little mound of the egg mayonnaise. Place the deviled quail eggs and garnish with smoked salmon and dill.
8. Bon appétit!