Eggs

Easter is a festival of spring and re-birth as much as a religious holiday, and all over the world the humble egg is venerated as part of the celebrations. In my house eggs are celebrated virtually every day.

Eggs for breakfast are an every day thing so for weekend treats try mixing some smoked salmon into your scrambled eggs, cook eggs in a ramekin in a pan of simmering water and decorate them with tarragon or try the ultimate eggs recipe below.

Eggs Benedict
Ham or Bacon on a Toasted Muffin, topped with a Poached Egg and Hollandaise sauce.

This wonderful American breakfast is a true celebration of the egg. Ham is more common but I prefer bacon and I use Hovis muffins.

The Bacon or Ham: Use thick cut ham or fry some dry-cured back rashers (e.g. Rudds, JJ Youngs).

Poach the Eggs – bring 1ltr of water to a boil, add 1tbs vinegar. Break an egg into a cup and slide into the boiling water, simmer for 3 min. or longer if you dislike runny eggs. Remove, trim and repeat.

Hollandaise Sauce
The classic sauce for egg (and fish) dishes.

Place a saucepan of hot water on a low heat with a glass bowl on top. Separate 2-3 eggs and cut 100g of chilled butter into cubes.

Reduce 1tbs white wine vinegar in a pan until a teaspoon remains; add to the bowl along with the egg yolks and 3 cubes of butter and whisk vigorously with a fork until melted. Add the remaining butter a few cubes at a time, whisking until incorporated.

Adjust the flavour with salt, pepper and lemon juice. To lighten the sauce, add a little water or cream. The sauce should be just warm – too hot and the eggs will curdle.

Eggs Royale replaces the bacon with smoked salmon. Eggs Florentine replaces the ham/bacon with spinach.