baked blue cheese fig balls

Every year my friend Kelly has an awesome Anti-Valentine's Day party. The idea is that everyone brings foods that are not usually associated with romance... dishes that are sour, bitter, stinky, etc. Check out her post about the year she made us kill our own dinner, and the post with a list of anti-valentine's day menu suggestions.





I have been wanting to make baked olive balls for some time, replacing blue cheese for the usual cheddar that I see in most recipes. Blue cheese is perfect for the party's theme with it's piquant moldy veins. I decided to add some sweetness by using figs instead of olives... cloying, gritty figs and funky, pungent blue cheese are beautiful together... a perfectly demented match.

Baked Blue Cheese Fig Balls 

-1 cup flour
-6 Tablespoons butter, melted
-5 oz. pkg. crumbled blue cheese
-2 Tablespoons of shredded cheese such as cheddar or jack
-1/2 cup pecans, chopped
-9 dried figs, quartered (36 pieces)
Honey Drizzle
-1/2 cup honey
-2 Tablespoons fig-infused vinegar or other sweet vinegar
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Combine the flour, melted butter, cheeses and pecans in a bowl. Mix well. The mixture will be crumbly, but should hold together when pressed. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon worth of the dough and flatten into your palm. Put a fig piece in the middle and form the dough around it, rolling into a ball. Repeat with rest of dough and figs. 

Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and golden. Meanwhile, make the Honey drizzle by simply combining the 3 ingredients in a small bowl and whisking. Serve balls warm with Honey Drizzle.

Related posts from the archives:
Black Sesame Salmon Balls
Blue Cheese Pecan Bread
Bruise Salad
Lamb Meatballs with Figs
Fig Pistachio Goat Cheese Spread

crab cake scotch quail eggs

I am not really sure how this happened. At some point I pieced this ball idea together in my head and had a perfectly logical rationalization for it. The reasoning has completely left me, but I was still convinced that crab scotch eggs needed to happen. 

Happily, these were quite good! The flaky, briny crab meat and the rich (and adorable!) quail eggs made fast friends, accented with a light buttery crust and some lemon zing. These would be an impressive and fun appetizer at a spring dinner or cocktail party. 

Crab Cake Scotch Quail Eggs 

-12 quail eggs
-1 lb. crab meat
-1.5 cups saltine cracker crumbs, divided
-1 Tablespoon butter, melted
-1 cup mayonnaise, divided
-1 lemon
-1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-1 Tablespoon spicy mustard
-1 teaspoon hot sauce
-2 teaspoon Old Bay
-1 egg
-1 handful of parsley, chopped
-salt and pepper
-1 clove garlic, minced
-lemon wedges and parsley for serving 

Put the quail eggs in a sauce pan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil then remove pan from heat and let sit for 4 minutes. Drain the hot water and add cold water and let the eggs cool about 10 minutes. Peel the eggs, very carefully, then rinse them and dab dry. 

Make the dipping sauce: Combine 1/2 cup of mayo with the zest and juice of half a lemon, half of the parsley and the minced garlic. set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

Mix the crab meat with half of the cracker crumbs (3/4 cup), 1/2 cup of mayo, juice of half a lemon, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, hots sauce, old bay, egg and salt and pepper. Let mixture sit about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the breading by combining the rest of the cracker crumbs with the melted butter in a separate bowl. Grab about 2 Tablespoons worth of the mixture and form into a thin patty. Place a peeled quail egg in the center and gently wrap the crab mixture around it to form a ball, squeezing gently so any excess liquid drips out. Once all the eggs are enrobed in crabby goodness, gently roll the balls in the cracker/butter mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with the dipping sauce, parsley and lemon wedges.

Related posts from the archives:

Eggs Jeanette (pan fried deviled eggs!)

Tuna Burgers and Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Wedge Salad with Chili-lime dressing, Crab and Shaved Eggs

Spring-ish Chicken Stew

Mini Pizzas with Prosciutto and Quail Eggs

Crock Pot Chicken and Eggs

Crawfish Boil Balls