Cooking Club Ingredients #1: Eggs

syklops · 16-01-2016 6:02pm

Polka_Dot wrote: »

A favourite comfort food of mine that my mam often makes is "egg in a cup." Not sure if it has a proper name, but this is how we do it:

Boil two eggs (I like mine soft boiled but hard boiled would work too) When the eggs are done, peel them and put them in a mug. Add butter, salt and pepper and mash up with a fork. Serve with toast. You can dump the whole thing straight on, or take bits from the mug as you go along (my preferred method).

It sounds a bit gross but I promise it's lovely!

My grandmother used to make that for me. To be honest Id forgotten all about it until your post.

syklops · 16-01-2016 6:04pm

Whispered wrote: »

French toast is a go-to lazy brekkie here.

I put a glug of vanilla extract and a sprinkle of desicated coconut into the eggs when I'm whisking. Fried over a low heat in coconut oil and served with berries and melon. It's like having cake for breakfast.

For a special slant on french toast I add a shot of Baileys. It makes it very luxurious.

View Post
I adore eggs! But I can't poach them successfully, anyone have a foolproof method?

Cling film.

Faith · 16-01-2016 6:26pm

syklops wrote: »

For a special slant on french toast I add a shot of Baileys. It makes it very luxurious.

Oh now I like this! I had French toast with bourbon cream recently and it was gorgeous, so I'd say the Bailey's is a great addition.

Does anyone do anything slightly more unusual with eggs? Soufflé, flourless cakes, Spanish omelette, gosh pretty much anything that involves eggs?

Mrs Fox · 16-01-2016 6:50pm

Faith wrote: »

Does anyone do anything slightly more unusual with eggs? Soufflé, flourless cakes, Spanish omelette, gosh pretty much anything that involves eggs?

I'm waiting for someone to post up a tried and tested Chawan-mushi - Japanese savoury egg custard. I've never had them, but would love to try it.

vicwatson · 16-01-2016 6:52pm

This is an eggcellent thread. My way? Fried in butter, over easy.

Faith · 16-01-2016 7:06pm

I think this will work even better if people make requests for things they'd like a recipe for. So Mrs Fox, for instance, you could post

Recipe request: Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for Chawan-mushi - Japanese savoury egg custard?

Also, I think it would be great if people try to give details of how they do whatever it is they do. Rather than just posting something like "soft boiled with toast", describe how long you boil them for, what kind of a boil, is there anything special in how you do it, how your approach is different from other people's, etc.

I'd like these threads to be more detailed than the kind of threads we'd typically have in Cooking & Recipes. So if the ingredient was, say, asparagus, in C&R someone might say "wrap them in Serrano ham", but in these threads, I'd like if people could elaborate more so as to encourage people to actually follow your recipe

kimokanto · 16-01-2016 8:08pm

Eggs are a go-to staple for me. I would love to have my own hens to really get the best eggs possible.
I have a favourite given to me by a friend.
Fried egg sambo with wholegrain toast.
Use either poached/fried egg,yolk must be soft.
Add a good red pesto & generous parmesan shavings black pepper.
YUM.
Also works well with sundried toms chopped finely if no red pesto in the house. .

Feeling very nostalgic about "guggy egg/egg in a cup" I was reared on it & my daughter is also a big fan.
Great thread.

mirrorwall14 · 16-01-2016 8:13pm

Recipe: Black pudding, poached egg with apple and rocket salad

Peel and slice an apple per person
Set grill and put black pudding on grill
Set up frying pan for apple slices, sauté in butter tossing occasionally as it heats and softens. I like to use pink lady or similar for a good sweet taste
Set up poaching pan and put in eggs to cook
While both are cooking set up bowls with a bed of rocket in each.
Once softened add sliced apple on top of the rocket.
Check grill (usually done at this stage but doesn't matter if apple goes a little cold waiting)
Add black pudding and top off with a runny poached egg

Serve with crusty or brown bread if you like!

This is our go to favourite treat breakfast. We had it on Christmas Day. I got cravings for black pudding one morning at 6am while on maternity leave and heavily pregnant so found the recipe, drove to tesco and greeted the husband with this when he woke. He was well impressed ðŸ˜€

hairyprincess · 16-01-2016 8:20pm

Faith wrote: »

Alright, I'll chime in on scrambled eggs.

Break eggs into a bowl. The more yolk, the better, so if you're blessed with twin-yolked eggs, you're in for a win. Yes, add a splash of milk, but ideally, cream. Plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Then a squeeze of sriracha, just enough to make everything slightly more orange. Mix together.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan* and melt plenty of butter. When it's warm, tip in your eggs and don't touch for at least a minute. When it starts to set around the edges, that's when you start mixing. Cook until they're about 90% done, then take off the heat while you butter your toast. Give the eggs a final mix, spoon on to your toast, and drizzle more sriracha over (to taste).

Enjoy!

*Cleaning eggs off a saucepan is one of life's tortures. A frying pan is infinitely easier to clean, and the larger surface area helps with a more even cook.

Faith, I made this this morning and it was so good! I will admit to scrambling my eggs in the microwave with a dash of milk and butter in the past, because as you said the saucepan is a pain to clean. Those days are over!!
I only got introduced to sriracha while on holidays during the summer and it took me a while to find it when I came home but I love it.
I had a job to keep the seven year old away from my bowl! She kept dipping in while eating her own boiled eggs

Faith · 16-01-2016 8:45pm

hairyprincess wrote: »

Faith, I made this this morning and it was so good! I will admit to scrambling my eggs in the microwave with a dash of milk and butter in the past, because as you said the saucepan is a pain to clean. Those days are over!!
I only got introduced to sriracha while on holidays during the summer and it took me a while to find it when I came home but I love it.
I had a job to keep the seven year old away from my bowl! She kept dipping in while eating her own boiled eggs

Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Dial Hard · 16-01-2016 9:00pm

hairyprincess wrote:

Faith, I made this this morning and it was so good! I will admit to scrambling my eggs in the microwave with a dash of milk and butter in the past, because as you said the saucepan is a pain to clean.

I find the microwaved bowl waaaay harder to clean than a pot used to scramble on the hob, I have to say. Maybe it's cause I eat my (pot-cooked) scramblers quite "loose" but I always find the microwave bakes the edge bits into cement, no matter how often they're stirred. My sister is a microwaver and the bowl is always a nightmare to clean afterwards.

livinsane · 16-01-2016 9:16pm

Baked Eggs with Smoked Fish

Ingredients for one

1 ramekin

15g butter plus extra for greasing
Dash olive oil
One egg
Large handful spinach [it shrinks considerably when cooked]
50g smoked fish shredded
Tablespoon cream
Pinch nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180ºC/350ºF
Grease the ramekin with butter
Heat the butter and oil in a pan and wilt the spinach for 2-3 mins
Remove and squeeze out any liquid
Finely chop and mix with half the cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper if desired
Mix in the shredded fish
Put the fish mix into the base of the ramekin, crack the egg on top and pour over the remaining cream
Bake in oven for 20 minutes, allow to cool and turn over in the hope that it all stays together

Egg Muffins

Ingredients for four

4 bun cases (preferably silicon)

2 eggs
Dash of milk
1 spring onion chopped
Chunk of yellow pepper diced
2 cherry tomatoes chopped
Grated cheddar cheese (a sprinkle per muffin)
Black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to Gas 4/350°F/180°C

If you're not using silicon cases, you'll have to grease them.

Beat the eggs in a jug, add the milk, chopped veg, grated cheese and black pepper.

3/4 Fill your cases

Bake for 20 mins until no liquid is present

Allow to cool and remove from cases

Minder · 17-01-2016 12:39pm

Mrs Fox wrote: »

I'm waiting for someone to post up a tried and tested Chawan-mushi - Japanese savoury egg custard. I've never had them, but would love to try it.

Tried it but wasn't a huge fan. I found the custard to be a little sweet for a savoury dish. I used a recipe from Jill Dupleix.

Make a dashi stock by adding 30g of konbu to a litre of water. Slowly bring to boiling point then turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes. Bring back up to boiling point and add 30g of bonito flakes and turn the heat off again. Leave for 5 minutes and strain through a fine sieve. Leave to cool.

Chawan Mushi can have a variety of fillings, this recipe uses prawns and salmon.

Use 100g of fresh salmon. Cut into four cubes and season with a little salt.
8 cooked prawns, 8 mange tout, 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms. Slice the mange tout and the shiitake in half and add the fish, prawns and veggies to four bowls or ramekins.

Beat 4 large eggs but avoid getting it frothy. Add the eggs to 600ml of the dashi stock. Add 2 tablespoons of mirin. Pour the mixture through a very fine sieve or muslin cloth and add to the bowls. Top each bowl with a foil lid and place in a steamer. Cook for 10 minutes then test the custard. It should be set but still a bit wobbly. Garnish with a coriander leaf.

Must try it again.

Jude13 · 17-01-2016 1:09pm

I have eggs each workday morning, poached, scrambled of fried and sometimes bring an omlette to work.

In relation to poaching I have done away with vinager or the whirlpool method. I just dont let the water boil.

1. Boil water in a kettle,
2. put in a pan/pot.
3. Have it at a setting where it is hot but not boiling.
4. Crack in the eggs.
5. when they have formed a little use an implement to move them gently. They will then not get stuck to the pan/pot and will float when nearly done.

Minder · 18-01-2016 12:09am

Made the Chawan Mushi again tonight following the recipe above. Except I made the dashi this morning and made the custard with the room temp stock much later. The dashi was good and the mirin didn't make it sweet. I made half the mixture and steamed two bowls with about 150ml of liquid in each. After 10 minutes, they were still very liquid. Another 7 minutes and the custards were set.

It didn't make great eating. Either the lose fitting foil lid lets in water; or more likely, the custard splits easily and becomes watery. The flavour was fine and the texture was light but it was a watery mess after a couple of spoonfuls. Lots of variables - is it made with hot stock and eggs and steamed for a short time? Or cold stock and steamed longer? Hot stock and raw eggs can result in scrambled eggs. Freshness of the eggs may be a factor. Elastic band around the foil lid to keep the water out?

Edit.
Looking at the following video, it would seem as if the custard in broth is the point of the dish. It also answers some of my questions.

http://www.japanesecooking101.com/chawanmushi/

maximo31 · 18-01-2016 10:53am

Saw a video on Facebook the other day with eggs that I tried out Friday night.
Get a baguette and cut out the insides of it leaving it looking a little like a canoe!

In a bowl mix eggs with sliced bacon and chopped scallions.
Pour this mixture into the baguette. Then grate cheese over it.
Put into a preheated oven (170 degrees I think) and cook for about 25 minutes or till the eggs have cooked.
Once cooked , remove from oven , slice and serve!
Actually very simple and very tasty…..

Mrs Fox · 18-01-2016 11:25am

Minder wrote: »

Made the Chawan Mushi again tonight following the recipe above. Except I made the dashi this morning and made the custard with the room temp stock much later. The dashi was good and the mirin didn't make it sweet. I made half the mixture and steamed two bowls with about 150ml of liquid in each. After 10 minutes, they were still very liquid. Another 7 minutes and the custards were set.

It didn't make great eating. Either the lose fitting foil lid lets in water; or more likely, the custard splits easily and becomes watery. The flavour was fine and the texture was light but it was a watery mess after a couple of spoonfuls. Lots of variables - is it made with hot stock and eggs and steamed for a short time? Or cold stock and steamed longer? Hot stock and raw eggs can result in scrambled eggs. Freshness of the eggs may be a factor. Elastic band around the foil lid to keep the water out?

Edit.
Looking at the following video, it would seem as if the custard in broth is the point of the dish. It also answers some of my questions.

http://www.japanesecooking101.com/chawanmushi/

Good man, Minder

I don't stock a lot of Japanese essentials apart from nori sheets and wasabi. So I wondered if chawanmushi was worth making if I stock up other ingredients like mirin, etc. Or can i sub them. Say, to make dashi; what can i use instead of konbu and bonito flakes. Thanks for your input.

Dizzyblonde · 18-01-2016 12:00pm

Faith I made your Hollandaise and it was a lot easier than I would ever have thought

My favourite egg recipe has to be Pavlova, and I make it à la Delia Smith:

3 large egg whites
175g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 150C
Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks
Add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time whisking after each one, until all the sugar is in.
Secure some baking parchment to a baking tin using blobs of the mixture, then put the mixture on the parchment to form a circle about 20cm in diameter. I use the back of a spoon to make the centre dish-like for filling, and rough up the raised outer part with a fork.
Place in the oven and turn the heat down to 140C. Leave for an hour, then turn the heat off and leave the pavlova in the oven until it cools. I often make it the evening before I need it and just leave it in the oven overnight.
I like to fill it with whipped cream with added vanilla extract, and whatever berries I can find in the shops.

*You can make a bigger pavlova by using an extra egg white and another 50g of sugar.

magicmushroom · 18-01-2016 12:07pm

My eggs recipe is as follows - it's YUM yet healthy!

2 large eggs beaten
Half a mashed banana (the riper the better)
Half a sliced banana
Heaped teaspoon of mixed spice
Few blueberries
Butter (the real stuff, no margarine crap)

Heat the pan, add butter and banana slices. Cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes.
Add blueberries.
Mix together the beaten eggs, mixed spice and mashed banana.
Pour over and cook like you would an omelette.

A little desiccated coconut is good in this too...yum

Dotcomdolly · 18-01-2016 1:33pm

Faith wrote: »

I love Hollandaise sauce. I'd drink the stuff if I could! But ain't no one got time for messing around with making it, so I swear by this foolproof two-minute Hollandaise sauce from Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/04/foolproof-2-minute-hollandaise-recipe.html

YUM! And I managed to poach eggs!

12523027_204225359925478_6972706271847092680_n.jpg?oh=f135c981a728ad3072484b35430c7190&oe=57336D95

Minder · 21-01-2016 8:47am

Mrs Fox wrote: »

Good man, Minder I don't stock a lot of Japanese essentials apart from nori sheets and wasabi. So I wondered if chawanmushi was worth making if I stock up other ingredients like mirin, etc. Or can i sub them. Say, to make dashi; what can i use instead of konbu and bonito flakes. Thanks for your input.

You can buy Dashi granules that just need hot water to make stock. This is the brand I see most commonly

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimaya-Dashi-Fish-Stock-50g/dp/B003XQKWBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453362103&sr=8-1&keywords=dashi+granules

Mirin is quite useful as a store cupboard ingredient.

Mrs Fox · 21-01-2016 9:13pm

Minder wrote: »

Mirin is quite useful as a store cupboard ingredient.

For some reason I have a small bottle of Tesco brand Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar in the press. But after Googling, I believe it's not the same as Mirin, as Mirin is Rice Wine.

Toto Wolfcastle · 21-01-2016 10:50pm

I've been making a simple chocolate soufflé (Darina Allen recipe I think) for years. 50-60g chocolate (whatever chocolate you fancy - I use 55%) and 1 egg per person. Preheat the oven to 200. Melt the chocolate. Let it cool a bit. Separate the eggs. Stir the yolks into the chocolate. The chocolate will get quite thick but that's fine. Whisk the egg whites. Stir a spoon of the whites into the chocolate and mix it to loosen. Fold the egg whites in gently. Spoon the mixture into ramekins. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. They may need longer depending on your oven so check that they're not too wobbly.

I ended up using an extra yolk when I made them tonight because it was leftover after an egg mishap and they were a bit fudgier than usual but still nice. It's a super easy recipe and it makes a lovely rich dessert. To lighten it a bit you could probably add an extra egg white. Lash a bit of cream on top and nom nom nom.

Bananaleaf · 21-01-2016 11:38pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

"Egg in a cup" ROCKS. And there's no need to pre-boil the egg.

Crack an egg (or two) into a mug, add a good knob of butter, loads of black pepper and a grind of salt.

Microwave for 30 seconds. Chop with a knife. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Chop with a knife. Personally I like it like that but cook to taste. Et voila!

No - it's not the same done in the microwave.

Minder · 21-01-2016 11:44pm

Son-In-Law Eggs

Prep a bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Place 4 eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 5 minutes. Plunge the eggs into the cold water to stop them cooking any further. Once cooled, crack the shells and peel them gently. They will be soft boiled, so go easy.

Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the eggs (or use a deep fryer). Heat the oil to 180c and fry the eggs until golden. This only takes a few minutes. Serve the eggs with sweet tamarind sauce, chilli jam and a scatter of Thai basil leaves. The yolks should be oozy.

Minder · 22-01-2016 12:11am

Old tradition of buttering the shell of a newly laid egg to preserve it. The fat in the butter seals the porous shell of the egg preventing evaporation and prolonging the life of the egg. But the butter also flavours the egg.

http://www.saveur.com/article/travels/irish-buttered-eggs

I first came across Irish buttered eggs—eggs rubbed in softened butter—at a stand at a market in Cork, Ireland. Jerry Moynihan, the farmer selling them, explained that buttering was a means of preserving eggs. Because the shell is porous, it absorbs the butter to form a more protective seal. Curious, I took one home. Soft-boiled, it tasted fresh from the hen, the yolk the color of sunshine, the white carrying with it a whiff of cream. Today buttered eggs are a delicacy, largely vanished from Irish farmyards and pantries. “You can't butter eggs by machine,” Moynihan told me. Every one needs to be done by hand. Farmers' wives used to say it was a task most difficult to execute in winter, when the butter was harder and their hands were colder. So perhaps in addition to the egg and the butter, what I taste is the memory of an Irish woman whose palm coaxed butter lovingly all the way around a fragile shell, hoping to preserve it for as long as she could.

Mrs Fox · 22-01-2016 9:11pm

I hope I don't get a slap on the wrist for posting this so late

Egg 'Bistik' is a popular Malaysian side dish to accompany a rice meal. It's basically an omelette topped with mince in sweet and sour sauce.
My theory is, the word 'bistik' derives from 'beef steak', as the omelette's shape and thickness is similar to steak, complete with 'gravy' on top.

EGG 'BISTIK'
serves 2

Omelette:
3 eggs
1 tbsp mayonnaise
black pepper
Oil

Gravy:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chilli pepper, sliced
1/2 cup mince, any meat. Chicken is best.
1/2 cup frozen veg mix
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
a dash of fish sauce
a bit of water to loosen the sauce
corn flour mixed with a bit of water

Make the omelette first. Heat wok on medium high (using a wok will result in the 'steak' shaped omelette) and add...er.... a lot of oil. Yes, a lot. Like 4-5 tbsp serving spoonful. In a bowl, beat the eggs with mayo and season with black pepper, then pour the mixture into wok and watch the egg puff up. Once the underside turns golden brown, carefully flip and let it cook through. It shouldn't take long. Remove and keep warm.
Now make the gravy. Same wok, heat up, scoop some of the oil out. Add onion, garlic and chilli and fry until fragrant. Add mince, stir stir stir. Then add veg.
Mix in all the sauces and give a good stir. Add a bit of water, a trickle at a time. Depends on how saucy you want it. Then add the corn flour mixture. Season to taste.
Pour the gravy on the omelette. Serve immediately with rice.

catho_monster · 23-01-2016 5:46pm

Egg fried rice, the Smitten Kitchen way, with an added attempt to get a bit of a socarrat going on: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/ginger-fried-rice/

Tweaks: I hardly ever have day old rice, I always make a fresh batch; I never use garlic; I've used cabbage instead of leaks too.

I was never any good at regular egg fried rice, and this is so simple it has changed my life I think.

Edit: almost forgot - the discovery of using coconut oil to fry sunny side up eggs in has also changed my life. Heated really hot, the edges get super crispy. Super crispy. Nothing I dislike more in my fried egg than the oily slippery incarnation. Crispy white, runny yoke ftw.

Neyite · 25-01-2016 1:29pm

Double Decker fried egg sambo.

Pick three slices of your favourite bread, butter and lightly salt them and crack 2 eggs into the frying pan. I prefer them fried with a soft yolk to make the sandwich messy and drippy. Layer it as bread-egg-bread-egg-bread. Slice in half and consume.

Frittata/omlette type of a hybrid concoction is also a weekend favourite and great for using up leftovers. Its also handy for lunches. I usually do this when I've got left over cooked baby potatoes and tend to put on extra to cook for midweek dinners so I can make this at the weekend.

Slice up about 8 -10 baby potatoes in half-cm slices, fry until golden, remove from the pan and set aside. Chop an onion, peppers, chorizo, ham, chicken, fry these up and also set aside. Lower the heat, Mix the lot together, return to the frying pan, flattening down the mixture slightly. Pour seasoned beaten egg though it - I find that about 5 eggs do the trick for a standard frying pan. slice cherry tomatoes in half and dot around the mixture, poking them into the egg mix. Sprinkle paprika on top. Let it cook over a low heat slowly and to cook the top, you can put it under the grill for a few minutes too.

Toto Wolfcastle · 26-01-2016 2:31pm

Neyite wrote: »

Frittata/omlette type of a hybrid concoction is also a weekend favourite and great for using up leftovers. Its also handy for lunches. I usually do this when I've got left over cooked baby potatoes and tend to put on extra to cook for midweek dinners so I can make this at the weekend.

Slice up about 8 -10 baby potatoes in half-cm slices, fry until golden, remove from the pan and set aside. Chop an onion, peppers, chorizo, ham, chicken, fry these up and also set aside. Lower the heat, Mix the lot together, return to the frying pan, flattening down the mixture slightly. Pour seasoned beaten egg though it - I find that about 5 eggs do the trick for a standard frying pan. slice cherry tomatoes in half and dot around the mixture, poking them into the egg mix. Sprinkle paprika on top. Let it cook over a low heat slowly and to cook the top, you can put it under the grill for a few minutes too.

I often see recipes that involve using up the contents of the fridge but I never actually have anything in the fridge that needs to be used up. All the planets aligned today though, and I had chorizo, bacon, chicken, onions (I've started buying massive bags of 'wonky' onions because they're nicer and cheaper than buying a couple of loose onions) and potato that needed to be used so I made this. So good. I'm stuffed now so it will keep me going until dinner. Thanks for the inspiration.

Cooking Club Ingredients #1: Eggs

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