eggs

The most perfect dippy hard-boiled eggs.

Breakfast

Hard-boiled eggs are my favourite type of egg. They’re quick to do, easy to do and you’re getting the all the flavour from the gorgeously runny yolk and firm white. Totally untouched.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs (I used Burford Browns, they have an amazingly orange yolk)
  • 2 slices of crusty bread
  • butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Get a pan of water on the hob and heat it to a rolling boil. Toast your bread before you put the eggs in the water. Set a timer for 4 and a half minutes and get you plate, cutlery and cup of tea ready. Lower your eggs into the water, set your timer and sort your soldiers out. Butter your bread, i like to twist the salt and pepper onto my soldiers, it’s easier than seasoning your eggs, and cut into 1cm think fingers. When your timer is done, quickly run the cold tap into the pan to prevent the eggs from cooking further. Even if there’s no water in the pan, if the eggs still feel warm they’re still cooking, so the cold water is a must! Pick out of the water, crack open and enjoy!

Nice and easy, old-fashioned Mayonnaise.

eggs, sauces

Mayonnaise. There’s a jar in every home, half full, nearly empty, enough left for that last BLT. But it’s so easy to make, trust me. You need a bit of elbow grease but it takes less than 5 minutes, from cracking your eggs to smoothing a big dollop onto your sarnie. The ingredients are already in your cupboards, so there’s no excuse!

Ingredients.

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 500ml oil, preferably vegetable or sunflower, olive tends to have too strong a taste
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp french mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

All you need for this is a standard mixing bowl, a whisk, and elbow grease at the ready. Begin with your yolks in the bowl and give them a good whisk until lighter in colour and slightly foamy, this’ll make it easier to incorporate your oil. Next pour a steady, constant stream of oil into the bowl, whisking all the while. It’ll thicken the yolks gradually, but don’t add too much oil in one go or the mixture will split. When you’ve added half the oil, add your mustard and vinegar and give your mayo another good mix. Continue adding the rest of the oil in the same fashion as before. Once all the oil is mixed add your seasoning, taste, tweak if necessary with extra salt and pepper, and you’re good to go!

This recipe does make a lot, but it’ll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for around two weeks. Plenty to keep you going.

Breakfast. Oozy scrambled eggs with watercress and spring onions.

Breakfast

When I woke up this morning I fancied eggs. In all honesty I always fancy eggs. They’re one of the most versatile, tasty and (occasionally) healthiest foods on the planet. So here is recipe number one, my oozy scrambled eggs on malty wholegrain toast with fresh watercress and spring onions, just for a bit of a kick.

Ingredients.

  • 3 eggs
  • 50ml double cream
  • a pinch of salt
  • a pinch of pepper
  • a pinch of sweet smoked paprika
  • a splash of olive oil
  • a little butter for the pan
  • a slice of buttered wholegrain toast
  • a handful of watercress
  • and a big pinch of chopped spring onions.

Let’s get cracking, shall we?

First off, make sure your plate, toast, cup of tea and newspaper are ready to go, cause as soon as the eggs go into the searing hot pan, they take a matter of seconds, you guys don’t have time to be messing around after the eggs start their magic.

Next, we need to get the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and paprika into a bowl, but don’t whisk them in any way and be careful not to break the yolks. Have your saucepan heating on the hob with your olive oil and butter, The oil is there to stop the butter burning, the fat content is so high it’ll take a matter of minutes for it to become a bubbling brown mess. Once your butter has dissolved and is starting to bubble, pour in the egg mix carefully. Let the eggs sit for a few seconds to form a skin around the side and bottom of the pan. Next, start to carefully and slowly stir the eggs in a figure of 8, avoiding the yolks and scraping round the sides to make sure the eggs don’t catch. When they are almost done, turn off the heat. They’ll continue to cook, but you don’t want to end up with dry eggs falling off your fork. Carefully scrape the eggs onto your toast, making sure the yolks are intact. I know I say ‘carefully’ a lot, but trust me, the extra care now means beautiful orange yolk all over the plate later. Top your eggs with a twist of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then your watercress and finally your onions. Now take a picture for Instagram if you have to, and enjoy!