Whenever my family has a celebration of any magnitude, it will reliably be held at a fancy Chinese restaurant. My parents and all of my aunts and uncles got married at the same banquet hall in Chinatown and every birthday, anniversary, going away party, boyfriend meeting has taken place at our favorite local dim sum place. There are certain high end dishes that often make an appearance at these fancy Chinese banquets, including ourfamily favorite the seafood birdnest. The birdnest, an edible, deep fried latticework of noodles or taro, holds a decadent stirfry of fresh veggies and fancy seafood.
While adulthood and many trips to an Asian grocery store have taught me that not everything translates perfectly from Chinese to English, it always did bother me that there was nothing birdlike about the birdnest. Living alone, I also hate that this dish is more of a family sized meal and the crispy noodles don’t make the best leftovers. I decided to address both these qualms by creating mini noodle birdnests using muffin tins and featuring some soft boiled quail eggs instead. Not only are these baked bite sized noodle birdnests simple and healthy, but they’re great appetizers for a dinner party. Try them with different toppings and fillings!
