Eggs…..

The egg: nature’s avian gift to mankind. Quail, chicken, duck, gull, ostrich: all perfectly formed packages of versatile magic. Cakes, soufflés, pasta, and mousses would all come to nothing sans oeuf. But what do we actually know about eggs?

The first thing to be noted is that, without prefix, an egg will always refer to those of a chicken. We, in the UK consume a staggering 11 billion eggs a year, produced by a massive brood of 29 million registered laying hens.

It is the unique nutritional make up of the egg that makes it so versatile and appealing to humans. It can probably be presumed that our ancestors somewhere far down the Darwinian line began raiding the nests of birds, drawn there by the protein-rich jewels the birds were sitting on. The egg is made up of a high density of both protein and fat. The white offers all the benefits of fatless protein to all the diet maniacs, while the yolk provides high levels of fat, along with a rich amount of protein, perfect for adding stability to all manner of cooking.

So, how to tell a good egg, and why it’s important? On appearance a good egg is normally medium in size and has a more defined conical shape. This appearance suggests that the egg was laid by a young foul. Their youth, smaller size and tighter muscles are more adept at the arduous process of egg production. Of course, this description is subjective and may differ with the natural idiosyncrasies of species.

As soon as the egg is laid, it begins to degenerate in quality until it becomes rotten. This means newer laid eggs are better than old ones. The age of an egg can be tested by immersing it in a glass of salted water. A very fresh egg (up to one week old) will stand on its end pointing to the top of the glass. A medium aged egg (one to two weeks) will float about halfway up the glass, on its side. An old egg (anything up to three weeks) will bob around on the surface of the salted water.

As explained further along in the article, certain methods of egg cooking necessitate a fresh egg. The quality and appearance of both poached and fried eggs is dependent upon the freshness of the main ingredient. So it follows that fresh eggs should be used for frying and poaching. Medium aged eggs should be used for scrambling and boiling, whilst the oldest eggs should be used for baking.

Below we have attempted to cover the major bases of egg cooking. From boiling to baking, if you can master the following recipes you can consider yourself a true Eggspert. (Sorry, had to be done)

Boiled Eggs

Perfect boiled eggs are extremely easy. There are many quoted ways of boiling an egg, but for FTLOL there are only three rules to follow for consistently perfect eggs:

Start with eggs at room temperature.

Pierce a small hole into the top of the shell with a pin.

Place the eggs directly into boiling water using a spoon.

For a medium egg, if you want it soft boiled cook it for 5 minutes, if you want it hard boiled, cook for 10 minutes.

An excellent tip for peeling eggs is to immediately immerse them in cold water. This helps the shell to slightly come away from the white. It must be noted that very fresh eggs will always be hard to peel.

Poached Eggs

There are so many different methods, rumours and old wives’ tales that surround the poaching of eggs. From the addition of vinegar to leaving eggs at the back of the fridge for an hour, FTLOL has heard of most and tested several. There is some truth to many of these methods; however the overriding factor when cooking a perfect poached egg is the freshness of the egg itself.

If an egg is fresh, it will automatically hold itself together when dropped into water. Poaching for 3-4 minutes will deliver a gloriously warmed through, but liquid yolk.

If a less than fresh egg must be used, then we have found that a couple of glugs of white wine vinegar, allied with a vortex in the water, created by vigorous stirring, leads to the best results. That said, we would suggest eating a boiled egg, omelette or scrambled egg instead.

Fried Eggs

As it seems with all forms of oeuf cuisine, a single method of cooking can cover a wide scope of variations.

For us at FTLOL, a fried egg should be fried in oil and butter over a medium/high heat. Once the butter is lightly foaming, crack in the egg, holding it for just a short pause while the yolk sets and centres itself in the white. Leave the egg to cook at this heat for about 3 minutes. This will cook through the white from the frying pan up. It is a personal preference to cook the white at such a heat, and for such a time that it develops a brown and crisp frill, whilst choosing not to spoon hot fat over the yolk to cook the thin layer of enveloping white through.

The perfect fried egg should serve not only as an addition to other meal components, but also as a delicious meal in its own right.

Omelettes

“As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelette: your own.” Elizabeth David.

There is something so comforting and reliable about an omelette. Whether your choice is a Tabasco-doused version in an American diner or the delicate baveuse texture of a classic omelette from L’Hotêl Poulard, the simplicity of beaten eggs cooked in fat is a perfect dish.

Although methods may differ, we suggest using a non-stick, heavy-based 20cm pan for all of the following recipes. You may also find a heatproof spatula very useful. We have taken three main types of omelette and given, what we believe to be, a good recipe to use as a guideline.

Omelette aux Fines Herbes – serves 1

Ingredients

Knob of butter

3 x eggs

1 tsp chervil, finely chopped

1 tsp chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat a good non-stick frying pan over a medium/high heat and add the butter.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk until well mixed and season. Once the butter is lightly foaming add the eggs.

Move the eggs around the pan, ensuring that they don’t stick. Once the egg has reached a slightly stiff scrambled egg stage, turn the heat off. Leave in the pan to set for about 10 seconds, fold the omelette over itself and then sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

American/English Omelette – serves 1

Ingredients

Knob of butter

½ x tomato, deseeded and finely diced

3 x eggs

2 x slices ham

50g Cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat a good non-stick frying pan over a medium/high heat and add the butter.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk until well mixed and season. Once the butter is lightly foaming, add the diced tomato. Fry for 1 minute before adding the eggs. Move the eggs around the pan ensuring that they don’t stick to the bottom.

Once the egg has reached a stiff scrambled egg stage, scatter the cheese all over it. Lay the two slices of ham on top. Continue to cook the omelette over the heat for approximately one more minute. Turn the heat off.

Flip the omelette over in half. The bottom should be golden and a little crisp. Leave for a little while in the pan to ensure the cheese is melted before serving.

Spanish Omelette – serves 4

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

1 x medium potato, peeled and very finely sliced

½ x onion, peeled and very finely sliced

Splash of water

1 x courgette, washed and grated

1 tbsp butter

6 x eggs

Watercress, to serve

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat half the oil in a good non-stick frying pan over a low/medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions and cook, turning periodically, for about 20 minutes until they are tender and slightly caramelised. If necessary, add a splash of water to speed up cooking time.

Add the courgette to the pan and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium/high.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk until well mixed and then season. Add the butter to the pan and melt before adding the eggs to the pan. Move the eggs around ensuring they don’t stick to the bottom. Keep the eggs moving until they begin to thicken, this should take about 3-4 minutes. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes to colour and set the base.

Once the base has set and is easily pulled away from the sides, take the omelette off the heat. Place a plate that is larger than the pan face down on top of the frying pan. With one hand firmly on the plate, flip the frying pan upside down. The omelette should drop onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on to a medium/high heat and add the remaining olive oil.

Carefully slide the omelette back into the hot frying pan. Cook the omelette for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden and the centre almost cooked through. Slide the omelette onto a chopping board, top with watercress and serve in chunks – Delicious hot or cold.

Asparagus with Crispy Fried Duck’s Egg – serves 1

Ingredients

1 x duck egg, soft poached and cooled in ice cold water

50g flour, seasoned

1 x egg, beaten

50g panko breadcrumbs. (If not panko, then nice, dry breadcrumbs)

Sunflower oil, to deep fry

1 x shallot, peeled and finely diced

3 tbsp light olive oil

1½ tbsp sherry vinegar

8 x asparagus spears, trimmed and boiled until just tender, drained and kept warm in pan

Method

Dust the poached duck egg in the flour before dipping it in the beaten egg and then rolling it in the breadcrumbs. It is important to ensure a good covering of crumbs on the egg.

Heat the oil over a medium/high heat until it reaches about 180°C/350°F. You can test the temperature by tossing a few of the breadcrumbs into the oil. If the temperature is right, they should begin to fry instantly and rise to the top. Place the egg gently into the oil and fry for about 3 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll.

Mix together the olive oil and the sherry vinegar. Add the shallot. Spoon the vinaigrette over the warm asparagus. Serve immediately with the crisp egg.

Soufflé Pain Perdu – serves 2

Ingredients

2 x eggs, separated

1/2  tbsp caster sugar

3 tsp good quality vanilla extract

4 x medium sliced bread, crusts removed

Strawberry jam

1 tbsp sunflower oil

Knob of butter

Icing sugar, to serve

Method

Place the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and the vanilla extract. Whisk the yolks and sugar together vigorously for about 1min until the mixture becomes pale and slightly velvety. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they reach a soft peak.

Beat half of the egg whites into the yolk mix before lightly folding through the remaining half.

Spread two of the slices of bread with strawberry jam. Place another slice of plain bread on top of each to form sandwiches. Cut these in half, along the diagonal.

Heat the oil and butter over a medium heat in a non-stick pan. Once the butter is foaming, dip the triangles into the batter and place directly into the pan. Cook the battered sandwiches on all sides for approximately 1 minute per side. Drain on kitchen roll before serving dusted with icing sugar.

Custard Tart – This recipe is based on a large 25cm tart case with a depth of 4½ cm

This is the best custard tart that we have been able to produce. The most important part of this recipe, and unfortunately the one that can only be perfected through repetition is how long to set the custard for. You are ultimately aiming for a slice of the tart to have a pronounced wobble whilst not oozing to pieces. The best result is to remove the tart when the surface produces a wobble akin to the tenacity of a bounced upon trampette when shaken lightly.

Ingredients

For the pastry base:

400g plain flour

60g icing sugar

200g butter, cubed and cold

1 x lemon, zest only

2 x eggs beaten

For the custard filling:

12 x egg yolks

1 vanilla pod, seeds only

190g caster sugar

750ml double cream

Fresh nutmeg

Method

For the pastry base:

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Place the butter, flour, icing sugar and lemon zest into a food processor. Using the pulse button, combine the ingredients until they take on the appearance of fine breadcrumbs. Add half of the beaten egg mixture and pulse again. The mix should just be coming together. Add half of the remaining egg and pulse again. At this point it may be necessary to add the rest of the egg, depending on how well the pastry has combined.

Tip the mix on to a clean work surface. Begin to bring together the pastry, working it lightly until you have a smooth paste. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out to a thickness of 3-5mm. Line the tart case, overlapping the edges of the case with the pastry. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes. Remove from the fridge and line the pastry with either strong cling film or greaseproof paper. Fill with baking beans*. Place in the oven and blind bake for about 25 minutes, until the overlapping edges have turned a dark golden hue. Remove from the oven and take out the baking beans. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the base has completely cooked through. Be sure that the base does not soufflé – decrease the temperature to about 160°C/315°F/Gas Mark 2½ if necessary.

Once the case is cooked, remove onto a wire rack. With a sharp knife, cut around the edge of the tart case to give an accurate finish to the tart. Leave to cool.

Turn the oven temperature down to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.

For the custard filling:

Whisk together the yolks, vanilla seeds and the sugar, add the cream and mix well. Heat the mixture over a medium heat to body temperature. Pass through a sieve into a jug. It is advisable to fill the tart case once it is already on an oven tray. This means you will not spill any mixture when placing in the oven. Fill the case to just below the top. Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes. There should still be a good wobble in the center of the tart. Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack. Grate over a generous amount of fresh nutmeg. Leave to sit for a minimum of 1 hour before removing from the tart case. Serve on its own or with rum-soaked raisins and crème Chantilly.

*This is a technical term given for the porcelain “beans” used in blind baking tart cases. We use, more often than not, plain rice. This gives a far more defined edge to the tart.