Take the quail eggs out of the fridge to bring them to room temperature.
Prepare an ice water bath and bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil.
Use a slotted spoon to gently place the raw quail's eggs into the boiling water.
Boil quail eggs for 1 ½ minutes for a soft boil/runny yolk.Boil quail eggs for 2 minutes for a medium boil/semi soft yolk. Boil quail eggs for 2 ½ minutes for a hard boil/set yolk.
Remove eggs to the ice bath to stop them from cooking using a slotted spoon and allow them to cool before peeling.
Dry eggs with a paper towel and tap the fat end on a surface to crack the shell before gently rolling the egg on its side and peeling the shell off.
Grind the salt, pepper, and celery seeds in a pestle and mortar and serve with the eggs and a pot of cocktail sticks.
Notes
Don't boil fresh quail eggs straight out of the fridge, as they can crack. Bring to room temperature first. Use a timer to boil the eggs for the right time. They are easy to overcook! Try to gently push your thumb under the membrane of the eggshell to help peel it off in one go. The fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. Soft-boiled eggs are the most difficult and can split.