One of my favourite things about travelling through Ireland is stumbling across those little honesty boxes selling eggs. As a city slicker, the novelty of using fresh eggs is not lost on me . It’s a humble ingredient but, when you get the best quality, it makes all the difference to the simple dishes you can create with them as the base. Homemade mayonnaise, eggs Benedict with hollandaise, or simply soft-boiled, there is something wonderfully evocative about the colour a fresh egg yolk can inject to any of these classics. This week, I serve eggs three ways.
Brunch was big while we lived in Los Angeles, and nobody did it better than my friend Valerie Gordon, who ran gorgeous cafe, bakery and deli Valerie in Echo Park with her husband, Stan. These egg salad tartines with prosciutto and picked herbs take inspiration from there — I’ve used Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise here, which lends a slightly sweeter tang to the egg salad than standard mayonnaise. If you can’t get hold of Kewpie mayonnaise, use the same amount of standard mayonnaise and add a small pinch of sugar to sweeten slightly — stir together and use as per the recipe.
Another favourite spot of ours was Honey Hi, which served a peak hipster crowd but had its roots in really great food. This California lunch bowl with turmeric poached egg takes its inspiration from there. The little trick of poaching the eggs in turmeric-spiked water leaves you with sunshine-yellow exteriors ideal for bright eating. Although grain bowls have had a bit of a bad rap for being a bit faddy, they are quick to make and tasty too. I treat this type of lunch or dinner as an opportunity for a fridge clearout — roast vegetables, leftover meat, pickled cucumber, basically whatever takes your fancy.
For something a little more classic, look to the poached egg and frisée salad. Otherwise known as salade Lyonnaise, this warm salad looks fabulous as well as being really easy to make. Look for blocks of pancetta you can cut yourself — the ones you find in packets are almost always of lesser quality and, for a salad like this, you really want the best you can get your hands on.
Egg Salad Tartines with Prosciutto & Picked Herbs. Picture: Donal Skehan
Serves: 4 Time: 25 mins
Ingredients 5 eggs 1 rustic French baguette, sliced in half lengthways and then into 3 or 4 across, depending on the size of your baguette 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 1 clove garlic, peeled 3-4 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise ½ tsp Dijon mustard Salt and white pepper 6-8 slices prosciutto
For the salad: 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped 90ml good-quality olive oil 30ml white wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard Pinch sugar 1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated but left whole 1 head radicchio, roughly chopped Handful of dill, leaves picked, plus extra to serve Handful of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped, plus extra to serve Handful chives, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
Method 1. For the salad dressing, place the capers, olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and sugar into a jam jar with a fitted lid and shake until emulsified. Set aside until needed — if the dressing separates, just shake again to bring back together. 2. Pick the herbs into a bowl and top with the leaves. Set aside in the fridge until needed. 3. For the egg salad, begin by placing some ice cubes into a large bowl of cold water to make an ice bath. 4. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down and add the eggs. Simmer the eggs very gently for 8 minutes, then remove to the ice bath and allow to cool. 5. While the eggs cool, heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and brush the cut sides of the bread with 2 tbsp olive oil. Griddle the bread for about 2 minutes on the cut side to char, then remove and rub the cut side with the peeled garlic clove. Drizzle with extra olive oil if needed and set aside. 6. Now, peel the cooled eggs and place into a bowl. Crush with a fork and mix in the Kewpie mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and some salt and white pepper to taste. 7. Divide the egg salad between the toasted pieces of baguette and top each with a slice of the prosciutto. Dress the salad with the French dressing, tossing together to coat all the leaves. Sprinkle with extra herbs to garnish and serve alongside the tartines.
Honey Hi California Lunch Bowl with Turmeric Poached Egg
Honey Hi California Lunch Bowl with Turmeric Poached Egg. Picture: Donal Skehan
Serves: 4 Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients 2 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp vinegar 2 x 250g packets of ready-cooked mixed grains or grains and lentils 2 avocados, sliced ¼-½ red cabbage, finely shredded Handful of wild rocket 4 large free-range eggs 2 tbsp dukkah
For the dressing: 3 tbsp white wine vinegar Juice of ½ lime 1 garlic clove Sea salt and black pepper 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Small handful of fresh chives, snipped
Method 1. Bring a saucepan with 5cm-7cm of water to the boil and add the turmeric and vinegar, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. 2. Heat up the grains according to packet instructions and divide into four bowls. Top with the avocado, red cabbage and rocket. 3. For the dressing, blend the white wine vinegar, lime juice, garlic and seasoning together in a bowl, then gradually whisk in the oil and stir in the chives. Drizzle all over the grains, avocado and cabbage. 4. Poach the eggs in simmering water for 2-3 minutes until set but still soft. Drain and place on top of the dressed bowls. Sprinkle with the dukkah and serve.
Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 200g smoked bacon lardons 2 slices of sourdough bread, cut into 1cm cubes 150g-200g frisée lettuce, torn 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp chopped tarragon 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 large free-range eggs 2 tbsp chives, snipped
Method 1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes over a medium–high heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Fry the bread in the bacon fat until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. 2. Put the lettuce in a salad bowl and add the bacon and crispy bread. 3. Mix the vinegar with the mustard and tarragon and plenty of seasoning, then whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil to form a vinaigrette. 4. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. One at a time, crack the eggs directly into the simmering water. Poach them for 2-3 minutes so the whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny. Drain with a slotted spoon on kitchen paper. 5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Divide between four plates and top each with a poached egg. Scatter with the chives and serve.
