Eggs (in particular Hens Eggs) are one of the most versatile ingredients you will come across.
Key Points:
- When buying ensure they are clean and slightly rough to touch
- When cracked the yolk should be firm and round. If the yolk is flattened then it's a sign that it is old or has not been stored correctly and is likely to be off - it certainly wont be at its best!
Grading Eggs
Grade A eggs are high-quality eggs with clean, intact shells, firm whites, and centered yolks. They are the standard eggs sold in supermarkets for everyday cooking and baking.
Grade B eggs are lower-quality eggs that are not sold directly to consumers as shell eggs; instead, they are typically used in food manufacturing or pasteurised for liquid egg products.
Grade C eggs are considered industrial or inedible eggs that do not meet food-quality standards and are not sold for human consumption. They are diverted for non-food uses such as in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, or animal feed.
Storage
As eggs shells are porous they should not be stored next to strong smelling foods like cheese or onions etc.
Cooking Eggs
Boiled Eggs
Depending on how soft you want them, there are 2 slightly different methods to cook a soft boiled egg.
1 - Soft Boiled Eggs
- Put the eggs in a saucepan of cold water
- Bring to the boil
- Simmer for 2-2.5 minutes
- Remove from the saucepan and serve!
2 - Medium-Soft Boiled Eggs
- Boil some water in a saucepan
- Put the eggs in the water
- Simmer for 4-5 minutes
- Remove from the saucepan and serve!
Hard Boiled Eggs
- Boil some water in a saucepan
- Put the eggs in the water
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes
- Remove from the saucepan and serve!
Fried Eggs
Melt a high quality fat in a frying pan over a medium to low heat (butter or sunflower oil is a good choice)
Crack the egg in to the frying pan
Gently cook until the white is set
Runny eggs are not suitable for the elderly, very young, pregnant women or anyone who is ill.
Scrambled Eggs
Eggs, a dash of milk, some butter and Salt and Pepper is all you need for a simple, quick and tasty meal/snack.
Top Tip: Don't overcook your eggs else they will toughen and may even discolour (they go a light grey in colour if overdone) this is due to the sulphur and iron in the eggs being released when cooked too long, so if you've ever had grey scrambled eggs, now you know why!
Serve with a grilled tomato or stir in some smoked salmon when you're ready to serve for some extra flavour. Personally I like scrambled eggs on toast with a squirt of tomato ketchup.
Eggs Benedict
Dating back to the mid to late 1800s in the USA, Eggs Benedict is likely named after a patron of a restaurant - exactly which one is up for debate so I'll stay out of it and just say the dish is named after a patron who requested this item so often they put it on the menu and named it after them!
Poached egg sitting on bacon on half a toasted English Breakfast Muffin, served with a dollop of warm hollandaise sauce over the top.
Eggs en Cocotte
Eggs en cocotte (eggs in a pot (i.e. a ramekin) are a French disk where the eggs are baked and cooked gently in small dishes with cream, butter, or other flavorings, usually in a hot water bath. The result is tender whites and luxuriously soft yolks, often served with toast for dipping.
Eggs sur le plat
Eggs sur le plat are a classic French preparation of eggs, essentially the French version of shirred eggs or baked eggs. The phrase literally means “eggs on the plate.”
A boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried! Proper pub grub or a tasty snack on the go.
Omelette
Every chef worth their salt should be able to make a perfect omelette (that's at least what I see watching food shows on the TV as they always test people with this).
Spanish Omelette
Cooked and served flat straight from the frying pan. Typical ingredients include eggs (obviously), onions, diced peppers, tomatoes and possible potato.
