Steak WITH FRIED QUAIL EGGS & TARRAGON

Here steak and eggs are reimagined as a gorgeous, two-bite hors d’oeuvre. Since quail eggs have a tougher shell than chicken eggs, open them ahead of time by cutting the tops off with a serrated knife and pouring the egg into a ramekin. Don’t cook the steak too rare or the crostini will be tricky to eat.

1 New York strip loin steak, 14 oz (425 g) about 1½ inches (4 cm) thick

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 rectangle focaccia, Ace Bakery if available 2 cloves garlic, halved

Dijon mustard to taste

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, divided

12 quail eggs

Coarse sea salt and tarragon leaves for serving

1 Let steak stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2 Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Clean and oil barbecue grate. Grill steak, turning occasionally, until medium-rare to medium, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer steak to cooling rack and rest 20 minutes. Slice ¼ inch (5 mm) thick.

3 Preheat broiler to high. 4 Cut focaccia crosswise into 6 slices, each ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. (Save rest for another use.) Trim ends and cut each slice in half. Place on a foil-lined heavy-duty baking tray. Broil 4 inches (10 cm) from heat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

5 Rub tops of crostini with cut sides of halved garlic. Smear generously with Dijon. Top each crostini with a slice of steak.

6 Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Fry 6 quail eggs until whites are set, about 1 minute. Transfer to crostini. Repeat with remaining oil and eggs. Sprinkle crostini with coarse salt and tarragon.

Makes 12