• Pickling the eggs. Add the quail eggs to a small saucepan, and add water to the pan until the eggs are just covered. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the quail eggs for 5 minutes, then remove to an ice bath (bowl filled with ice water) and allow to cool completely. Carefully peel the eggs, and transfer them to a small-medium mason jar or airtight container. I like to use a pairing knife to help get the shell loosened to easily peel the quail eggs, since they have a thicker shell than regular chicken eggs.
• Making the brine. Add all brine ingredients to the same saucepan you cooked the eggs in and bring to a boil. Stir until brown sugar and salt are completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, and pour over peeled eggs.
• Cover and refrigerate, turning jar or container sightly every day to distribute brine evenly, for 3 days.
• Dredging and frying the Scotch eggs. Set a large cutting board or cookie sheet out, and cover with parchment paper. If using sausage links, remove from the casing. Wet your hands, and press the sausage into an even ⅛” thick layer across the parchment paper (you will end up with a roughly 9”12” rectangle- it does not need to be perfect).
• Using a sharp knife, slice sausage into 2” squares (4 slices horizontally, 3 vertically). You should end up with 12 squares, which do not need to be perfect either.
• Place 1 pickled quail egg in each square, and carefully lift sausage square with a butter knife or silicone spatula. Carefully wrap around the egg, edge to edge, and press to seal. Roll the chorizo wrapped quail egg in your hands until it’s smooth, like a meatball.
• Continue until all eggs are wrapped and rolled, then set up.a dredging station with beaten eggs on a small bowl, and the parmesan and panko in another medium bowl, stirred or whisked well to combine.
• Once all eggs are coated in sausage, coat them in the panko/parmesan mixture, then dip them one by one into the beaten egg, and then into the panko/parmesan mixture again. Set coated eggs aside onto a clean plate.
• Preheat oven to 350, and set an oven-safe cooling rack over a sheet pan close to your work station.
• Frying the Scotch eggs. Heat ¼” of frying oil (I used canola) in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until shimmering but not smoking.
• Fry the coated eggs in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook eggs for 2 minutes a side, turning carefully with tongs to brown all (4) sides, then transfer to the oven-safe cooling rack to drain.
• Once all the eggs are fried, transfer the sheet pan/rack to the oven for 10-15 minutes to fully cook sausage. Eggs should be firm to the touch and brown once cooked through.
• Once removed from the oven, allow the cooked eggs to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting/serving. The eggs are great served warm from the oven, or at room temperature.
• While the eggs are cooling, make the harissa cream sauce.
• To make the harissa cream sauce, simply whisk all ingredients until well incorporated.
• To serve- sliced eggs in half, and transfer to a bowl or platter, and serve with a side of harissa cream sauce.

Air Frying the Scotch Eggs

• Spray prepared and dredged eggs evenly with cooking spray of choice.
• Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Cook eggs for 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through.
• Cool, slice and enjoy!