Appetizer

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into julienne strips with a coarse grater. Transfer them to a bowl and add an egg, the flour and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly then divide the mixture into 4 lightly buttered muffin tins. Use a spoon to push the mixture up around the edges of the tins to make a basket shape. Place in an oven preheated to 200°C and bake for about 20 minutes until the baskets are golden. Then remove and allow to cool before removing from the tins.

In the meantime, make the tartar sauce. Boil the other 2 eggs in water for about 10 minutes. Shell them and discard the whites. Place the yolks in a bowl and crush them with a spatula until they form a smooth cream. Dribble in the oil and whisk the sauce until it is soft and frothy. Then add the chopped pickles and chives and mix thoroughly. Season with mustard, salt and pepper and keep in the fridge until the time of serving.

To keep the quails’ eggs soft in the middle boil them for 2′ and 30″ from the moment when the water comes to the boil, then drain them and cool them in cold running water to stop them cooking further. Now make up the nests. Fill the baskets with tartar sauce, garnish with a few leaves of salad and flowers and place the shelled quails’ eggs on top.