Consider this beauty a preview of what’s to come this Thanksgiving weekend! My brother’s workplace was having a Thanksgiving potluck on Thursday… So, in true Thanksgiving fashion, this masterpiece was a family project. The recipe actually calls for ‘royal potatoes’, which I didn’t know were actually a thing. Turns out, they’re potatoes that are usually in season around May. Even with regular ol’ russet potatoes, this potato salad turned out befitting of the ‘Royal’ title. Unlike a regular potato salad, this one’s covered in the most aromatic pesto I’ve ever made. Okay, so it’s the first pesto I’ve ever made, but I couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful the kitchen smelled. If you’ve never tried quail eggs before, they are absolutely marvellous. I think they can only be found in select grocery stores though — I know Asian supermarkets stock them for sure! You HAVE TO try this dish… it is sure to impress this Thanksgiving.

(Side note: I’m having really bad sync issues. My blog posts aren’t updating properly and are being posted in the wrong order or as duplicates. Or dated back to 1968. Between my bad computer skills and notoriously slow cooking abilities (I like to insist I cook with love), my second annual Thanksgiving extravaganza might take a while to post. But stay tuned, cause it’s gonna be HUGE.

---

RECIPE (serves 8-12 people!)

30 quail eggs

4 lbs potatoes

2 cups petite peas (frozen & super cute)

1 1/2 cups basil leaves

1 1/2 cups parsley (+a few extra to garnish)

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup grated parmesan (or 4 oz.)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups olive oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 bunch of mint leaves, shredded

salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the quail eggs into a small pot and cover with warm water. Heat the water on medium high until it boils. Once boiled, simmer for 30 seconds (soft boiled) to 2 minutes (hard boiled) and immediately remove from heat. Drain the water and run eggs under cold water. Once chilled, peel the eggs.

Boil another small pot containing 2-3 cups of water. Once boiled, pour in the peas and blanche for 30 seconds, then drain and chill under cool water. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiled, add the potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Pulse the basil, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan, and garlic in a food processor until you get a paste. Then add the oil and pulse until you have a smooth pesto. It will smell delicious!

Drain the potatoes and cut them in half or quarters as soon as you can comfortably handle them. The salad is best made while the potatoes are still warm.

Add the potatoes, peas, vinegar, mint and pesto to a large mixing bowl and gently fold until everything is evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. I added a very generous amount of black pepper and it was delicious!

Cut the quail eggs into halves and use them to top the salad. Garnish with some parsley and a light dusting of black pepper and serve!!

Enjoy!