A common British pub snack is an egg boiled and served in its shell with celery salt. Excerpted from One Good Dish by David Tanis (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013.
Ingredients
- 18 quail eggs
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
- Large pinch of cayenne
Preparation
- Bring 4 cups water to a rapid boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quail eggs and cook for 2½ minutes. Immediately cool them in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then drain well and put them in an attractive serving bowl.
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat until fragrant, a minute or so. Coarsely grind the cumin in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small dish, add the salt and cayenne, and stir together.
- Pass the eggs and the cumin salt at the table, so each diner can peel and season his or her own.
