Eggs

Eggs are one of the most versatile and natural products available. They can be served as a main dish by boiling, scrambling, frying, poaching or making into an omelette or pancakes.

If you have your own chickens clucking around your yard, then your lucky, a freshly laid chucky egg for breakfast is a real treat!

Egg Tips ~

 * Eggs should be stored in the fridge with their pointed end downwards.

 * Always use eggs as fresh as possible for the best flavour

* For the best results, remove eggs from the fridge 30 minutes before use.

* To check for freshness, gently drop eggs into a bowl of cold water. If they sink they are fresh, if they float to the surface they are old and should be thrown away.

 
 

BOILED EGGS ~ To get a lovely soft-boiled egg for your breakfast. Place the eggs in the saucepan and cover them with just enough cold water. Put them on a high heat, as soon as they reach boiling point, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for...
 
Guide for Medium Eggs. If you are cooking a large eggs, add an extra minute to the cooking time.

3 mins for a really soft-boiled egg
4 mins for the white to be just set and a yolk that is creamy.
5 mins for a white and yolk perfectly set.
If you prefer hard yolks, leave them for about 7 - 10 minutes

Use a timer as well, and just experiment until you get it right to your own taste.

Don't forget your hot buttered soldiers too : )

While they're cooking, pop some bread in the toaster, when it's ready, butter and cut the toast into strips to make soldiers. When the eggs are cooked, lift them out of the saucepan with a slotted and Pop them into an egg cup. Cut the top off the egg and now you are all ready for dunking your soldiers. :)

Tips ~ The temperature of the egg before it goes in the pan to be cooked is important. Do you keep your eggs in the fridge? if so, then they are likely to crack if used straight from fridge and plunged into boiling water. If you do store your eggs in the fridge, they should be removed at least half an hour before you start to prepare them, this will bring them up to room temperature.I find its best to use a small saucepan for boiling my chucky eggs, as using a bigger pan they rattle and roll around and crash into one another, which causes them to crack. A gentle simmer is all that's needed too.

 
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH MUSHROOMS
This is a recipe for two. You can use wild mushrooms as well if you like foraging.

250g mixed mushrooms
6 eggs
50g unsalted butter
2tsp fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt & loads of freshly ground Black pepper

Clean the mushrooms and cut into thick slices. Put the eggs in a bowl, add salt & pepper to taste and beat well. Melt 40g of the butter in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt & pepper. Fry over a medium heat until lightly browned and the juices begin to run.

Push the mushrooms to one side of the pan, add the remaining butter,then pour in the beaten eggs, stirring with a fork until almost set. Gradually stir in the mushrooms from the side of the pan, cook for a couple of minutes, then spoon onto serving plates. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve with some toast.


POACHED EGGS ~ are delicious in salads or on a toasted muffin.
The eggs for poaching need to be super fresh, otherwise they will spread out in the water.

Bring a large deep pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat so it bubbles very gently. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar. Gently crack an egg into a small cup.( to make it slide easier into pan) With a whisk or large spoon swirl the water in a circular motion, to make a whirlpool effect and pour the egg in the centre. The water will swirl the egg, keeping it fairly round. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the white is set but the yolk is still slightly runny. Carefully lift the egg out with a slotted spoon and serve.

 
FRIED EGGS ~ 'Sunny side up' or 'Over easy'?
For a crispy, frilly,egg white and a runny yolk, heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan until very hot. Break the eggs into the pan, reduce the heat to medium. Spoon the hot oil over the tops of the eggs so the yolk and whites cook at the same time. Keep basting until an opaque white film sets over the yolks. Use a fish slice and remove the eggs from the pan. If your don't like a crispy base to your fried egg, don't have the pan very hot to start with. Keep the heat at medium throughtout cooking.

 
OMELETTE ~ Fluffy and golden on the outside, soft and squidgy on the inside.
Break eggs into a large bowl, season with salt & freshly ground pepper. Using a whisk, carefully blend the egg yolks and white, but don't over mix them. Heat the pan until it is quite hot, then add 1 tsp butter and a little olive oil as soon as the butter melts swirl it around, tilting the pan so the base and sides get coated.

Turn up the heat high, when the butter starts foaming, pour egg into pan, tilting to to spread the liquid evenly over the base. Leave the omelette to cook for few seconds until a bubbly frill starts to appear around the edge. With a spatula, draw the edges into centre so the liquid flows into the space -it helps to tilt the pan.When there is a small amount of liquid left add any filling and flip half the omelette over. Don't worry about the liquid egg- the retained heat will cook it through.

Tips ~ The pan you use is important for cooking your omelette. Too big and you'll end up with a thin, tough omelette,too small and it will be thick and spongy. A good choice of pan would be a non-stick pan, about 15-20cm in diameter.
 
LETS GET CRACKING!

D Moss