"Buttonhole" quail eggs
This little appetizer consists of a small finger of toast, a slice of cured ham and three quail egg yolks arranged on a rectangle of egg white. It is a bit tricky to make, but very attractive to serve, and delicious, of course.
181 K 4.4/5 (5 reviews)
60 min.
Average
12 canapés
7 IngredientsLast modified on: June 26th 2011
6 slices 
6 slices smoked ham
60 g 
36 quails egg
2 teaspoons 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 60 min.
Cooking: 3 min.
All in all: 60 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 7 min.
Cut 6 slices bread into rectangles about 5cm x 2.5cm (2 x 1 inches).
Cut 6 slices smoked ham to the same size.
Cut 6 slices smoked ham to the same size.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Butter both sides of the bread.
Stage 3 - 15 min.
Crack open the 36 quails egg and separate the yolks from the whites.
Note: The action needed to crack quail's eggs is not easy to describe; you might like to watch this short demonstration video.
Note: The action needed to crack quail's eggs is not easy to describe; you might like to watch this short demonstration video.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Stage 5 - 10 min.
When the whites are cooked, salt and tip onto a chopping board, and cut out rectangles the same size as the pieces of bread.
Cut 3 circles of 1 cm (0.5 inch) diameter out of each rectangle. For this it is best to use the nozzle of a forcing bag of the right size.
Cut 3 circles of 1 cm (0.5 inch) diameter out of each rectangle. For this it is best to use the nozzle of a forcing bag of the right size.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
In the same pan, fry the ham for 1 minute on each side.
Stage 7 - 4 min.
Then fry the slices of bread until golden brown on each side.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Turn down the heat under the pan. Arrange a slice of ham on each piece of bread, then a rectangle of egg white. Salt and pepper lightly.
Stage 9 - 10 min.
Finish by placing an egg yolk in each hollow.
This is the tricky moment in the recipe. You need to do this gently so as not to break the egg yolks.
Leave like this on low heat for about 5 minutes to warm the yolks through, but they should not cook.
This is the tricky moment in the recipe. You need to do this gently so as not to break the egg yolks.
Leave like this on low heat for about 5 minutes to warm the yolks through, but they should not cook.
Remarks
Everything can be prepared in advance, only the yolks need to be added at the last minute.
You can add a little surprise flavour in the hollow of the whites under the yolks, something strong like a drop of wasabi, a few drops of vinegar, or whatever you can think of.
You can add a little surprise flavour in the hollow of the whites under the yolks, something strong like a drop of wasabi, a few drops of vinegar, or whatever you can think of.
Keeping: Just a few minutes.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 540 RDI=210 % | 3,450 RDI=330 % | 210 RDI=30 % | 2,430 RDI=120 % | 10,200 RDI: 120 % |
| Per 100 g | 50 RDI=20 % | 350 RDI=30 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 250 RDI=10 % | 1,040 RDI: 10 % |
| Per canapés | 40 RDI=20 % | 290 RDI=30 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 200 RDI=10 % | 850 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 12 canapés : 9.10 €
- Per canapés : 0.80 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Butter
Like these other recipes: Baked Mont d'Or with diced mixed vegetables, Fruit crumble, Gratin-style spinach and chicken omelette , Brussels-Bombay salad, Crisp apricot and pistachio tart, ... See them all 470
Quail egg
Like these other recipes: Quail egg canapés, ... See them all 1
Bread
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Fried bread with leek and poached egg , bread-crust quiche, Nanou's red cabbage salad, French onion soup, Bruschetta, ... See them all 73
Smoked ham
Like these other recipes: Tagliatelle and courgette spaghetti, carbonara style, Chicano burger, Ham and cheese slices with spring onions, Surprise bread, Croque-monsieur gourmand, ... See them all 30
Other recipes you may also like
Chestnut cake
This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée.May 8th 2020339 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping.February 21th 2011360 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Epiphany galette
Here is the recipe for the very classic but delicious "galette des rois" (Epiphany galette) in puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) with almond cream or frangipane . You will also see some professional tips to easily handle the dough, and obtain a nice and regular galette.January 1st 2025295 K 24.5 3 hours 8 min.
Toasted almond cake
A layer cake, with toasted almonds in the chocolate part.July 5th 2016244 K4.4 2 hours 2 min.
Nanou's chocolate cake
A moist melting cake, very very chocolaty...June 22th 2013285 K4.6 1 hour 45 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-08)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.