I have 6 chickens now and love to boil or poach their eggs which are so fresh and delicious. We built the coop in lock down in 2020 and haven’t bought an egg since then, sharing the surplus with my friends. Where would we be without eggs for cooking? Breakfast, lunch and evening meals are dominated by eggs, either using them as the main meal, or adding to other parts of the meal. Below are a few recipes and although I normally try to stick to easy recipes, I couldn’t resist adding my favourite breakfast recipe – Eggs Benedict! The Hollandaise Sauce does take a little more effort to make, but it is well worth it and something to surprise your guests with when they come to stay. Pancakes or crêpes can be made anytime of the year, not just in February and any fruit goes well with them or sweet sauce.
Buen Apetito
Egg Fried Rice
225g long grain rice
1 clove garlic
2 eggs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp light Soy Sauce
Cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with boiling water, then drain again and set aside. Beat the eggs and set aside. Heat oil in a non-stick wok or large frying pan. Crush garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute, add rice and cook for a further minute. Pour in eggs and stir fry for about 2 minutes or until eggs are almost set. Add Soy Sauce to taste and salt and pepper. Serve while hot.
Apple Pancakes
1 tbsp soft butter
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs beaten
1½ cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup apples finely chopped
Cinnamon
Milk
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the beaten eggs, the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add chopped apple to the mixture. Gradually add the milk to make a medium soft batter. Cook as for ordinary pancakes and serve either as a savoury dish or with a main course such as pork chops. Cooked apple or apple sauce can be used in the batter in same way.
Vegetable and Ham Omelette
2 courgettes
1 small red pepper
1 small green pepper
3 shallots or small onions
100g thick ham
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp milk
6 eggs
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
Cut courgettes, peppers and onions into small cubes and dice the ham. Heat the oil and sauté the onions and peppers for 5 minutes. Add the courgettes and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the ham and then spoon mixture into an oven dish. Mix together the cornflour with some of the milk to make a paste. Beat the eggs and the remaining milk and season. Pour over vegetables and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake in the centre of the oven (180ºC/350ºF) for 30 minutes and then allow to cool.
Eggs Benedict
4 slices of bread
8 slices of smoked salmon
Salt
1-2 tbsp vinegar
4 eggs
Hollandaise Sauce
100g butter
2 egg yolks
2-4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp white vinegar
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
To make the Hollandaise Sauce, take a large bowl, mix egg yolks, half the lemon juice and vinegar. Place over a pan of hot water which is just simmering. Beat mixture until frothy with a whisk. Add butter gradually and then add seasoning. As sauce thickens add the remaining lemon juice. Add remaining vinegar to water and poach eggs in simmering water. Toast bread and cut into circles. Spread a small amount of Hollandaise Sauce on the toast and then lay 2 slices of smoked salmon on each slice. Carefully lift poached eggs out of water and place on top of salmon. Pour remaining sauce on top of eggs.
Aubergine Tortilla
700g aubergines
½ bunch parsley
2 onions
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 eggs
Wash and dice aubergines. Finely chop parsley and peel and dice onions. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook slowly for 5 minutes until transparent. Remove onions and add remaining oil and cook aubergine cubes for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs for two minutes, add onions to the aubergines and stir gently. Pour the egg evenly over the vegetables. Cook the tortilla on a very low heat for 5 minutes or until underneath is golden brown. Place a plate the size of the frying pan over the mixture and turn over, sliding the tortilla back into the frying pan to cook the other side. Slide onto a plate and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot or cold.