Whether they’re served sunny side up, soft boiled and cracked open with a side of buttery toast for dipping, or poached and drowned in a pool of hollandaise sauce – there’s no doubt that eggs are delicious no matter how they’re served.
Not to mess with perfection, but eggs can go beyond their regular means of preparation. And we’re not talking about a quiche or egg salad sarmie for lunch. Instead, we’re talking about exciting dishes that showcase eggs as the main star.
An excellent source of inexpensive protein, eggs are a pantry staple that everyone has in stock. They can be eaten at any time of day and help nourish the body – they’re a rich source of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. They’re so delicious in every form yet often cheap and easy to prepare. From fluffy meringue and zesty lemon curd to a wholesome bowl of ramen – eggs can be the highlight of any meal.
Sophisticated recipes for eggs:
Cloud eggs
By @theyorkpost
Fried eggs are a classic, but these cloud eggs are like savoury marshmallows that pack a moreish punch. Whisked to perfection, the egg whites are seasoned with garlic powder and chives, elevating the humble egg in both looks and flavour. Serve it up at brunch to get tongues wagging and mouths drooling for more.
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs, separated
¼ cup shredded cheese (Swiss/Gruyere)
¼ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
60g diced bacon
Fresh chives
METHOD
Preheat oven to 220ºC. Line sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
With a hand mixer beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold in garlic powder, cheese and bacon.
Spoon 4 equal portions of egg whites into a sheet pan. Make a little indentation (well) for egg yolks to nestle in later. Bake the egg whites for 4 minutes.
Carefully add egg yolks to the well and bake another 4-5 minutes or until egg yolks are cooked to desired preference.
At 4 minutes the egg yolks will still be runny. Garnish with chives, flaky sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!!!
These can be enjoyed without meat too. I would switch up the cheese for grated Parmesan if you don’t plan on adding any of the added protein.
Ramen
By @inkyungkitchen
What could be more comforting than a steaming bowl of hot ramen? It has all the right elements to warm you up, right to the bone. From the broth to the crunchy vegetables, noodles and the pièce de résistance – the soft boiled egg – you’ll savour every bite.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken broth
1 tbs olive oil
800g free-range whole chicken carcass, wings and/or legs
1 large yellow onion, cut half with peel
3 sticks of celery
1 leek (white part)
2 bay leaves
10g dried shiitake mushrooms
10cm piece of konbu (dried seaweed)
10g thick-sliced fresh ginger
4 litres water
Doenjang sauce
140g (½ cup) Doenjang (korean fermented soy bean paste)
3 tbs mirin
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp chilli bean paste
2 tbs maple syrup
METHOD
Chicken broth
Heat a pan with olive oil (medium-high). Place the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken skin is browned. It will help create more flavour.
Place all the chicken and the rest of the ingredients into a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, discard just the kombu (dried seaweed) and continue to boil the rest of the ingredients for 30 minutes. Turn the heat lower and simmer gently for 2-3 hours. Add water as needed to ensure the bones are always just covered. Lastly simmer for 30 minutes to reduce the broth. The broth should be milky/cloudy. This should yield about two litres of broth.
Strain the broth through a sieve, and discard the solids. If you don't use it straight away, pour it into jars and cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
Topping
Flash fry some sweetcorn, flat beans, carrot and pak choi with oil or butter and set aside.
Blanch bean sprouts in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain.
Cook eggs in a pot of boiling water for 6 minutes. Immediately drain and keep in the ice water for a few minutes, and shell.
Cook the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until just tender, then drain.
For the Doenjang sauce, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix well.
Combine the chicken broth and the Doenjang sauce and bring to a boil. Add noodles to a bowl, pour over the hot broth and top with eggs, wakame, sweetcorn, flat beans, carrot, pak choi, bean sprouts and spring onions.
Add butter for a richer, soft, and creamy flavour.
Lemon meringue pie
By @thecuratedkitchenuk
Sweet, zesty lemon curd with sharp notes of lemon topped with fluffy meringue and paired with a buttery pastry base, this dessert is perfect any time of the day.
INGREDIENTS
Filling
The zest and juice of 2 lemons
60g unsalted butter, cubed
2 large eggs + 2 yolks (again, put the whites to one side for your meringue mix later)
1 tsp cornflour
Pastry
225g plain flour
25g icing sugar
A pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg yolk (put the white to one side for your meringue mix later)
3 tbs ice-cold water
1 beaten egg
Meringue
225g white caster sugar
6 tbs water
120g egg whites (approx 4 eggs)
METHOD
Lemon curd filling
Place the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest into a saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Strain through a sieve into a jug.
In a cup, mix your cornflour with a splash of cold water and stir until there aren’t any lumps.
Using a whisk, lightly beat your eggs and egg yolks together before slowly adding the lemon syrup, whisking vigorously while you pour to ensure that the eggs don’t scramble. Whisk until well combined before adding the diluted cornflour.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.
Pastry
Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Mix the egg yolk with the cold water before using a butter knife to stir it through the flour mixture until it comes together to form a dough.
On a lightly floured surface, gently knead the dough together until smooth. Shape it into a flat disk, cover it with cling film and refrigerate it for approximately 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200/180ºC on fan.
Once chilled, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of around a coin.
Then line a loose-bottomed 23cm fluted tart tin with the pastry, allowing any excess to hang over the sides. Gently press into the base and fluted sides.
Prick the pastry lightly with a fork before lining with baking parchment and filling with baking beans or rice to weigh it down.
Place on a baking sheet and blind bake for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and parchment paper, brush the pastry with egg wash and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is cooked and lightly golden.
Reduce your oven temperature to 180/160ºC on fan.
With a sharp knife, trim off any excess pastry that was left to hang over the sides, so that it’s now flush with the top of the tin.
Fill the tart case with the lemon curd, smoothing it out with a pallet knife and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the curd has set but still has a slight wobble in the middle.
Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack while you make your meringue.
Meringue
Put the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Boil until a sugar thermometer reaches 120ºC, using a pastry brush and some cold water to brush any sugar crystals that form down into the syrup.
In the absence of a sugar thermometer, use the “firm ball” technique (drop a teaspoon of the syrup into a cup of cold water; if it sets to a firm ball that can be squashed between your fingers, it’s ready. If it gets hard like a hard-boiled sweet it’s too hot – remove from the heat and allow to cool until it reaches the correct temperature. If the sugar syrup just dissolves into the water it’s not yet hot enough).
While the syrup is boiling, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks using a freestanding mixer or hand-held electric whisk.
Once the syrup has come to temperature, while it’s still bubbling hot, gradually add to your egg whites while whisking at high speed.
Once you’ve added all of the syrup, continue to whisk on high speed for 5-7 minutes until you have a stiff, shiny, sticky mixture.
Top your curd filled pie with spoonfuls of meringue, gently pushing to the edges with a pallet knife but leaving plenty of volume, to create swirls and peaks.
Finish with a blast under a hot grill or with a blowtorch to toast the peaks of the meringue.