QUAIL EGGS WITH OLIVE PASTE

Quail Eggs with Olive Paste image

Yield Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres

Number Of Ingredients 4

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12 quail eggs (available at specialty food shops) plus additional for garnish if desired
1/4 cup bottled black olive paste such as tapenade or olivada (available at specialty food shops and some supermarkets) for topping the eggs
24 drained bottled capers, patted dry
thyme branches for lining the platter plus 24 sprigs for garnish if desired

Steps:

In a saucepan cover the eggs with cold water, bring the water just to a boil, and simmer the eggs for 5 minutes. Pour out the water, add cold water to the pan, and let the eggs cool until they can be handled. Shell 12 of the eggs carefully and halve them lengthwise, leaving the additional eggs unshelled. Spoon a small dollop of the olive paste onto each egg half, top the olive paste with a caper, and arrange the egg halves on a platter lined with the thyme branches and garnished with the additional eggs. Garnish the egg halves with the thyme sprigs.