Hail to the Hen: An Egg-ucation in the yolk stuff

The egg: a superfood in a shell. Packed with protein and brimming with more vitamins and minerals than you can shake an eggy soldier at, these powerhouses are the perfect partner to a healthy diet. And don’t skip the yolk, which contains half of the protein and is a valuable source of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Always make sure your eggs are Free Range. These days, they aren’t expensive, and knowing the chickens have been laying happy really makes you feel good. Not to mention how much tastier than they are! Just be careful with the packaging if buying from a supermarket, which can sometimes be misleading. I’ve been caught out a few times with ‘fresh, happy eggs’, only to see ‘caged’ in tiny writing inside the box.

Poached Egg Made Easy

The versatility of eggs makes them so appealing. People often avoid my favourite, poached, because they aren’t sure how to make them.  The thought of fiddling with a whisk and hot water trying to make a well, whilst using an invisible 3^rd hand to crack the egg in, is enough to break anyone out in a sweat.

Well, I’ve been taught a fool-proof way to make poached eggs, with no skill required! Just fill a frying pan with 1/2 inch of water, and place on a medium heat until simmering. Crack in the eggs and leave for a few minutes until cooked. Yes, it’s that easy!

Also, the golden number for the perfect soft-boiled egg? 4 minutes 20 seconds works for me (only adding the egg once the water starts to boil).

Try one of these recipes below to enjoy Scotch Eggs with a twist, a breakfast Fluffy Egg Mountain and a tasty Frittata:

Chorizo Scotch Eggs

Perfect for a picnic in the summer sunshine!

 

1)      Boil the eggs (4 ½ minutes for soft boiled, longer for hard). Leave to cool, and then peel.

2)      Next, place some chopped chorizo with 1 egg in a food processor and blitz until it comes together (enough to mould around a boiled egg). Add more egg if needed. Set aside.

3)      To make the breadcrumbs, blitz bread in a food processor, with a handful of fresh herbs and seasoning.

4)      Now to assemble the scotch eggs.  Flatten a handful of chorizo mixture onto some cling film. Roll an egg in flour and place in the middle. Roll up the meat around the egg.

5)      Remove the cling film, and then roll the meat ball in flour, then egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat to ensure a thick coating.

6)      Heat a pan of oil until very hot. Lower the scotch eggs into the pan and cook until crispy and deep brown.

Fluffy Egg Mountain

I came across this recipe when browsing old cookery books in a charity shop. Quite frankly, it puts boiled egg and soldiers to shame:

Tucking in to my Fluffy Egg Mountain!

(Serves 1)

1)      Toast a slice of bread.

2)      Separate an egg yolk and white. Put the yolk aside.

3)      Whisk the egg white until it forms stiff peaks.

4)      Butter the toast. Dollop some of the egg white on top and make a well. Carefully place the yolk inside the well. Don’t break it!

5)      Gently place the remaining egg white on top to cover the yolk.

6)      Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grate a generous helping of Parmesan or Gruyère cheese on top.

7)      Place in the oven at 190⁰C for 8-10 minutes for a soft yolk. Yum!

Chorizo and Potato Frittata

This is your fuss free, one pan mid-week meal sorted.

 

(Serves 1-2 depending on whether you serve it alone, or alongside salad)

1)      Boil 4 new potatoes (skin on) until cooked. Leave to cool.

2)      Slice a red onion and some chorizo. Cook for a few minutes in a small frying pan with a splash of oil, until the onion starts to soften. Empty out of the pan and set aside.

3)      Crack and whisk 4 eggs in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Over a high heat, pour the eggs into the frying pan, then immediately add the chorizo and onion mixture on top with a handful of fresh coriander. Add the potato slices evenly in the pan.

4)      Cook for a few minutes on the hob, then place under the grill at maximum heat until golden brown and cooked through. Sprinkle chilli, fresh coriander and halved cherry tomatoes over the top to serve.

Keep cooking and see you next time!

Grappling with the Grape: Wine Tasting Party

Inspired by wine-tasting whilst on holiday in Southern France, sipping delicious local wines in the sunshine amongst beautiful scenery, I was keen to host my own wine-tasting party. What a perfect way to get everyone in the festive party mood!


Vineyard in Southern France

In homage to my recent travels, I decided on a French theme and to include both red and white wines.  Other possible themes could be a specific colour, grape variety or region. How about trying sparkling wine or port for a festive tasting? After confirming the guest list, I asked each person to bring a bottle – instructing them which colour to bring and from which region of France. This ensured we had a variety for the tasting. I also asked my guests to cover the label before arriving, so that I couldn’t cheat when setting up the bottles!

Next, I carefully wrapped up all the bottles, covering everything including the neck so that no-one could recognise their own. Tissue paper, newspaper or foil all work fine. Make sure you have everything to hand so you can wrap the wines quickly and get back to hosting.

Round 1: The Whites

First up were the white wines! These were served before the reds, since they are lighter and don’t leave a tannin aftertaste.

Each guest had a score card to fill in and was given the challenge of identifying the grape, region and price, before giving the wine marks out of 10. To help guess the grape, I provided a list of the varieties with a couple of words on how they taste (fruity, honey, oak etc.). To my surprise, this guide worked really well and helped lots of people to guess correctly! I had also added 2 ‘wild cards’ from different countries and asked people to try and spot them.

Bottles at the ready!

Using my (very) basic knowledge, I showed my guests how to identify the wine by its appearance, aroma and taste. Cue lots of very silly fish faces as we all had a go at sucking air into our mouths with the wine! Of course, we all needed extra measures to check the taste.

Serving canapés alongside the wine provided the perfect nibble in between tasters. Finger food is fun and sociable, as well as helping to line the stomach! Making your own canapés will really impress your guests and are much more appetising than stodgy, bland shop-bought ones. To complement the white wines, I served smoked salmon and cream cheese crostini, cranberry and stuffing filo bites for a festive touch, and mozzarella, basil and tomato topped crackers (see below for crostini recipe). All of them went down a treat, especially the salmon. Luckily I’d made plenty!

Really bring your canapés to life by designing interesting flavours and spending extra time on presentation. Using an assortment of different bases and a variety of colourful toppings increases the visual appeal, making them too tempting to resist!

Round 2: The Reds

Next up were the red wines, which we moved on to with gusto. The canapés I served to complement them included fig and blue cheese topped crackers, grape and duck pate topped apple slices, and chorizo, red pepper and hummus crostini.

After multiple slurps, spills and the odd coughing fit mid fish face, we rather hazily reached the end of the tasting and unveiled each wine in turn. In the battle of Reds Vs. Whites, the 'wild card' Argentinian Malbec was the overall winner, with the sweet Riesling the favourite amongst the whites. Interestingly, one of the most expensive wines was one of the least favourites!

Who had the most refined palate? Well, I can safely say everyone got less accurate and more ambitious as the evening progressed! I guessed all of the whites correctly (perhaps a sign I’ve practiced too often?!), but got all of the reds wrong (perhaps I haven’t practiced enough?!).

Serving up some sweet treats including mince pies, chocolate truffles and dark chocolate mints topped off the evening perfectly. Judging by our guests staying until the early hours of the morning and the number of empty bottles found the next day, it was certainly a successful evening!

So, choose your theme and host your own wine tasting party for an evening with a difference. Or why not try different ciders or ales? Perhaps don’t take up one guest’s suggestion of a tequila tasting party; that’s one hangover I wouldn’t be able to handle…

Crostini

Make your own crunchy crostini for your canapés:

1)      Cut a white baguette into thin slices.

2)      Brush both sides with a thin layer of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3)      Spread out on a baking tray and bake at 180⁰C for approx. 5 minutes each side, until golden brown.

4)      Leave to cool before assembling toppings.

Top Tips for a successful wine-tasting party:

Tasting the reds!

- Make sure you’ve got enough wine glasses!

- Ask guests to bring their white wine pre-chilled.

- Chill glasses in the freezer before serving the whites for a special touch.

- Provide a list of the grape varieties and instructions on how they taste if you are beginners. Otherwise, it’s impossible to guess!

- Pop a carafe of water on the table to keep hydrated between tasters.

- Match your canapés to your wine colour.

- Aim for a total of 12 canapés per guest (plus a handful more for spare!)