Italian sausage & fennel tartlets with quail eggs

Recipes / Eggs

Gooey quail eggs and rich Italian sausage add oomph to this spicy tarlet treat.

Recipe «Italian sausage & fennel tartlets with quail eggs» presented in category Recipes / Eggs, to prepare this dish you will need no more 40 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author sheff would need: 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed, 2 tbsp olive oil, 200g Italian pork and fennel sausages, casings removed, 100g bacon, finely chopped, 1/2 tsp ground fennel , 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves, 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 2 tbsp sour cream , 50g semi-dried tomatoes, finely chopped, 24 quail eggs, 6 pickled jalapenos, drained, sliced, Thyme leaves, to serve.

Ingredients:

  • 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • 200g Italian pork and fennel sausages, casings removed 
  • 100g bacon, finely chopped 
  • 1/2 tsp ground fennel 
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves 
  • 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes 
  • 2 tbsp sour cream 
  • 50g semi-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 
  • 24 quail eggs 
  • 6 pickled jalapenos, drained, sliced 
  • Thyme leaves, to serve 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease two 12-hole muffin pans.
  2. Cut 24 x 8cm pastry circles, then use to line the muffin pans. Line each pastry case with baking paper and baking weights or uncooked rice and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and almost dry. Remove weights and paper and cool.
  3. Meanwhile, place oil in a large, non-stick frypan over medium heat. Cook sausage meat and bacon for 8-10 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until golden and cooked through. Add the fennel, tarragon and chilli flakes, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then stir in sour cream and semi-dried tomato.
  4. Fill each pastry case with 1/2 teaspoon sausage mixture. Carefully crack a quail egg on top, then top each tartlet with a few thin slices of jalapeno and season. Bake tartlets for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.
  5. Sprinkle the tartlets with thyme leaves and serve warm.