For pickled shallot, place shallot in a heatproof bowl. Combine 175 ml water, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil then pour over shallot and set aside to cool.
For bread crisps, preheat oven to 180°C. Slice bread as thinly as possible to 2mm-thick. Place slices on a large oven tray lined with baking paper, then brush with oil and season to taste. Top with a sheet of baking paper and another tray to keep slices flat and bake until light golden (8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool then store in an airtight container.
For beef tartare, cut beef into 5mm dice then combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, mix well then cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent oxidisation.
For dressing, combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook quail eggs in a small saucepan of boiling water until medium soft-boiled (2 minutes 20 seconds). Refresh in iced water. When completely cool, carefully peel. (If eggs are difficult to peel, place in a bowl of water with 10 per cent vinegar and leave for a few minutes. This will soften the shell, making peeling easier.)
To serve, spoon tartare onto a plate. Top with drained pickled shallot and quail eggs then drizzle with dressing and top with herbs and flowers. Serve with crisps.
