Content

• Ingredients
• The basics
• For batter
• Dipping sauce
• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Boil the Eggs
• Part 2 of 3: Cover and fry the eggs
• Part 3 of 3: Make the sauce
• Tips
• What do you need

Kwek Kwek is a popular street food enjoyed in the Philippines, but you can make your own version at home with the right ingredients and supplies. Hard-boiled quail eggs are covered with orange batter and fried until crisp, then served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Servings: 4

The basics

• 1 dozen quail eggs
• 1 cup (250 ml) flour
• Water for boiling
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For batter

• 1 cup (250 ml) flour
• 3/4 cup (185 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) annatto powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder

Dipping sauce

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ketchup
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Boil the Eggs

1. 1 Boil the eggs. Place eggs in a medium saucepan. Add water until the water is 2.5 cm higher than the eggs. Heat the pot over high heat until the water boils. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs simmer in hot water for another 5 minutes.
   • It is generally recommended to bring water and eggs to a boil at the same time. If you throw cold eggs into boiling water, the shells may burst.
   • To make the eggs easier to clean and to prevent the yolks from taking on an unattractive green hue, rinse the eggs in cold water as soon as you remove them from the hot water. This stops the cooking process and creates a steam barrier between the egg white and the shell, so the shell is easier to remove. You can rinse the eggs in cold, running water, or you could soak them in a bowl of ice water.
2. 2 Refrigerate and peel the shell. Let the eggs sit at room temperature or in cold water until they cool. Once they are cool enough, use your fingers to remove the shells. When this is done, you should be left with a dozen hard-boiled quail eggs.
   • To peel off the shell, press down on a hard surface using enough force to create a crack. Peel the shell piece by piece from this crack.
   • Note that you can take this step two days earlier. Unless you plan on using boiled quail eggs straight away, you should refrigerate them in a covered container until ready. However, eggs should not be stored for more than two days.

Part 2 of 3: Cover and fry the eggs

1. 1 Dip the eggs in flour. Place 1 cup (250 ml) flour into a small, shallow dish. Dip the freshly peeled quail eggs in flour until each egg is well coated around the perimeter.
   • Note that you can also use corn flour instead of wheat flour when coating eggs. Corn flour has a lower gluten content, but otherwise it will act like wheat flour and stick just as effectively.
2. 2 Mix annatto powder and warm water. Dissolve annatto powder by mixing in 3/4 cup (185 ml) warm water. Stir with a whisk until completely dissolved.
   • Annatto powder is mainly used as a colorant, and when combined correctly, it should produce a deep orange color. It does give the batter an extra flavor, though.
   • If you don't have annatto powder, you can use orange food coloring instead. Place a few drops of orange food coloring or a few drops of red and yellow food coloring in warm water and stir until you get a deep orange color. Food coloring won't taste exactly like annatto powder, but the color should be about the same.
3. 3 Mix ingredients for batter. Whisk 1 cup (250 ml) flour, baking powder, and diluted annatto powder together in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to avoid lumps.
   • To improve the quality of the batter, set it aside for about 30 minutes before coating the eggs. Letting the dough sit, this will allow the flour to moisten more thoroughly, resulting in a thicker, richer dough. Resting time also gives the baking powder more time to activate. Be careful though, if the dough is left standing for more than 30 minutes, it can cause bubbles produced by the baking powder, resulting in a thicker, less airy dough.
   • Also note that baking soda is not an absolutely essential ingredient. Some recipes completely exclude it. You can leave it on, and as a result, the dough will just be a little denser.
4. 4 Cover the eggs with batter. Throw the eggs into the batter. Roll them gently until all sides are covered.
   • If you don't want your fingers to get sticky, use a metal skewer or fork to move the eggs as you cover them with batter. It is very important that all sides of each egg are completely covered with the dough.
5. 5 Heat oil in a deep skillet. Pour 2.5 cm of vegetable oil into a wide, high-sided, thick-bottomed skillet. Heat the oil on a hot stove until it reaches 180 ° C.
   • Check the oil temperature with an oil thermometer or candy thermometer.
   • If you don't have a thermometer, check the temperature of the oil by dipping a small spoonful of dough into it. The dough should immediately begin to sizzle and fry when the butter is ready.
6. 6 Fry your eggs. Transfer eggs to butter, 4-6 at a time. Cook, stirring slightly with a slotted spoon, until the dough is golden brown and crispy. It takes only a few minutes.
   • To avoid getting your fingers dirty in the dough, you can use a skewer to pierce the batter eggs with it as you transfer them to the hot butter. Use another skewer or fork to drop the egg from the skewer into the hot oil.
   • Work carefully to avoid splashing hot oil when throwing eggs into it.
   • Understand that the temperature of the oil will fluctuate as soon as you drop the eggs into the oil and as soon as you take them out. Keep looking at the butter thermometer as you fry your eggs. Adjust the heat controls on the stove as needed to maintain the temperature around 180 ° C.
7. 7 Drain and cool slightly. Line a plate with several layers of clean paper towels. Remove the Kvek-Kvek from the hot oil and place the eggs on paper towels. Let the excess oil soak into the paper towels.
   • A plate lined with clean paper bags will work well in place of paper towels if needed.
   • Alternatively, you can put the kvek-kvek in a metal sieve and drain off the excess oil, instead of using paper towels.
   • Best of all, enjoy kvek kvek while they are still a little hot. The dough will be more crunchy when eaten fresh, but it can become soggy as soon as it cools.
   • Kvek-kvek is not reheated as the dough tends to become soggy during the cooling and heating process.

Part 3 of 3: Make the sauce

1. 1 Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. In a small saucepan, combine the rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
   • For a spicier sauce, chop one hot chili and mix with the other ingredients. Although, if you still prefer a smoother sauce, you could achieve the same level of hotness by adding 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (5-15 ml) of chili sauce.
   • Make this sauce while the eggs are draining and cooling. By the time the sauce is done, the butter should have drained and the eggs should be chilled enough to bite. You don't want the eggs to cool completely, though, as the dough will get soggy as soon as this happens.
   • Note, you could even make the sauce beforehand. Store in an airtight container and refrigerator until ready to use. Preheat it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or heat it gently on the stovetop.
2. 2 Warm up. Simmer on the stove until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir frequently until the sauce is done.
   • When the sauce is ready, immediately remove it from the heat source. Let it cool until the sauce is cool enough to touch without getting burned.
3. 3 Serve with eggs. Transfer the dipping sauce to a small bowl. Serve with freshly fried quail eggs, or Kvek-Kvek.

Tips

• If you cannot find quail eggs, you can use standard chicken eggs. Follow the same instructions for boiling, covering, and frying eggs, and serve them with the same sauce. Note, however, that when using chicken eggs, this dish is called "tokneneng" instead of "Kvek-Kvek."

What do you need

• Two small pans
• Small dish
• Small mixing bowl
• Large bowl
• Deep, heavy frying pan
• Candy or butter thermometer
• Skewer
• Fork
• With a slotted spoon
• Plate
• Paper towels, paper bags, or metal sieve
• Corolla
• Mixing spoon
• Bowl (for dipping sauce)
• Serving dish