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Eggcellent! Scrumptious dishes
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BOBOTIE Recipe on page 115.
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Cheaper by the dozen
BACON-AND-EGG OPEN SANDWICHES Recipe on page 115.
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Curried potato eggs This recipe is a combination of a Scotch egg (a boiled egg wrapped in sausage, crumbed and fried) and my favourite curried potato dish by Australian chef Bill Granger.
Serves 6 • Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 30 minutes
• 6 medium eggs • a pinch of bicarbonate of soda • 500g baby potatoes, quartered • 15ml butter and oil • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated • 3ml black mustard seeds • 3ml turmeric • 5ml curry powder • 3 spring onions (white bits only), chopped • 1 green chilli, chopped • 6 curry leaves • 2 baby marrows, grated • about 125ml flour • 2 eggs, beaten • about 200ml panko breadcrumbs • oil for deep-frying • lemon and yoghurt to serve
1 Put the eggs in cold water in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and bicarb, and bring to the boil; cook for 4 minutes. Drain and place immediately in ice water to halt the cooking process. Shell the eggs and keep in the fridge until needed. 2 Boil the potatoes in salted water until done. Melt the butter and oil in a pan and sauté the garlic, ginger and mustard seeds until fragrant. Stir in the cooked potato, turmeric, curry, onion, chilli, curry leaves and baby marrows and fry for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash the stir-fry with a fork to form a chunky mash. Flatten the mixture on a plate and refrigerate to cool quickly. 3 Divide the cold curried mash into 6 equal portions. Flatten the first portion in the palm of your hand, put a boiled egg on top and carefully shape the potato around the egg until completely covered. Make sure there are no holes. Repeat with all 6 eggs. 4 Dip the eggs first in flour, then in the beaten egg and finally roll them in the breadcrumbs. Heat about 3cm of oil in a saucepan and fry the eggs in it until golden-brown on the outside and heated through (the filling is cooked already). Enjoy with a few drops of fresh lemon and yoghurt.
Bobotie Fill your home with the aromas of the Bo-Kaap! Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients – it’s really easy once you have assembled them all.
Makes 8–10 generous servings Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C
• 5 thick slices day-old white bread • 250ml milk • 15ml olive oil • 30ml butter • 2 large onions, chopped • 3 plump cloves garlic, chopped • 30ml masala • 10ml ground turmeric • 10ml ground cumin • 10ml ground coriander • 3 cloves • 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated • 1 red chilli, finely chopped • 30ml chutney • 30ml apricot jam • 125ml sultanas or soft dried apricots, chopped • 125ml almond flakes, toasted • a generous pinch of dried herbs • 5ml sea salt flakes • freshly ground black pepper to taste • 1kg lean mince CUSTARD TOPPING • 5 eggs • 300ml double-cream yoghurt • 8 lemon or bay leaves • thinly sliced lemon (optional) • sliced banana and coconut to serve
1 Soak the bread in the milk. Once the bread is soaked, use a fork to mash the bread in the milk and set aside. 2 Heat the oil and butter together and sauté the onions until glossy. Add the garlic, masala, spices, ginger and chilli and fry for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in the rest of the main ingredients, except the mince, as well as the bread-and-milk mixture, mix well and remove from the heat to cool. 3 Preheat the oven. Mix the cooled onion mixture through the mince and place in a large ovenproof dish. Beat the eggs and yoghurt together, season with salt and pepper and pour over the mince mixture. 4 Garnish with lemon or bay leaves and, if desired, some thinly sliced lemon. Bake for about 1 hour; increase the oven temperature to 200°C and give the custard topping another 5–10 minutes in the oven to brown nicely. Serve with yellow rice, sliced banana, extra chutney and coconut. Tip The mince mixture can be prepared a day ahead.
Bacon-and-egg open sandwiches When we were kids and friends stayed over, my mom always treated us to a simple version of these open sandwiches for breakfast. My version has more bacon and sometimes I top it with a fried egg.
Serves 8 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Oven temperature: 200°C
• 300g Cheddar, coarsely grated • 100g mozzarella, coarsely grated • 3 eggs, beaten • 5ml Dijon mustard • a pinch of chilli powder • 80ml milk • 8 rashers streaky bacon, halved • 5ml olive oil • 5ml honey • 8 thick slices ciabatta, toasted and spread with butter
1 Mix the cheese, eggs, mustard, chilli powder and milk. If you have time, leave the mixture to stand for an hour. 2 Fry the bacon in the oil until crispy then glaze with the honey. This step is optional, but I love the hint of sweetness. 3 Preheat the oven. Arrange the slices of bread on a greased baking tray (I use baking paper as well) and place two pieces of bacon and a generous dollop of the cheese mixture on top, from edge to edge. Bake the loaded open sandwiches for 10–20 minutes or until cooked and puffed up. If necessary, after the first 10 minutes, scoop any cheese that has melted off the edges back onto the bread before baking some more. These sandwiches are delicious as is, or serve with a fried egg on top for a hearty breakfast. >>
A hen’s egg is, quite simply, a work of art, a masterpiece of design and construction with, it has to be said, brilliant packaging! – food writer Delia Smith
TIRAMISU MERINGUE ROULADE Recipe on page 119.
CHIFFON CAKE WITH CREAM AND JAM Recipe on page 119.
Chinese omelette Small parcels of flavour with a surprise in every bite – a delicious way to use up the last few veggies in your fridge.
Makes 12 omelettes • Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: a few minutes per omelette
• 125ml cooked chicken or pork, finely chopped • 125ml raw prawn meat, chopped • 2 carrots, coarsely grated • 5 mushrooms, coarsely grated • 2 baby marrows, coarsely grated • 1 red chilli, finely chopped • 3 spring onions, chopped • 60ml bean sprouts • 15ml cornflour • 15ml soy sauce • 10ml oyster sauce • salt and pepper to taste • 5 eggs, beaten • vegetable oil for shallow-frying
1 Mix all the ingredients except the oil in a large mixing bowl to form a batter. 2 Heat a generous splash of oil in a non-stick pan – use enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Now add one soup ladle of batter to the oil at a time to make flap jack-sized omelettes (try to scoop filling and egg together and stir the batter regularly). Bake each omelette for a minute or two on each side until the egg is cooked; keep the temperature of the oil moderate and top up as necessary. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can make more than one omelette at a time if your pan is large enough. Delicious as an alternative breakfast or with steamed rice as a meal. Tip Feel free to substitute the prawns and chicken with leftover braai chicken or cooked mince.
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Chiffon cake with cream and jam This feather-light cake is so versatile, and can be garnished with anything from butter icing to chocolate ganache.
Makes 1 x 23cm double-layer cake Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 30–35 minutes Oven temperature: 160°C
• 280g (500ml) cake flour • 40g (60ml) cornflour • 15ml baking powder • a pinch of salt • a pinch of cream of tartar • 5 eggs, separated • 150g (180ml) castor sugar • 180ml lukewarm water • 125ml oil • 15ml vanilla essence • about 80ml jam of your choice • 250ml cream, whipped • 5ml castor sugar (or to taste), extra • fresh fruit of your choice
1 Preheat the oven and line the bottom of two 23cm cake tins with baking paper. Don’t grease the tins: this cake rises best when the batter can ‘stick’ to the tin as it bakes; a greased pan will let the batter slide down and make the cake denser. 2 Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt together twice. This captures extra air in the batter and ensures a lighter cake. 3 Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add 125ml of the sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition until the egg whites are stiff and look shiny like meringue. Using the same whisk, beat the egg yolks, the remaining 55ml sugar, water and oil, and 5ml of the vanilla essence until mixed. Then immediately beat in the flour mixture until just combined. It must be smooth, but not beaten unnecessarily. 4 Add a spoonful of the stiff egg whites on top of the batter and fold in quickly. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold everything in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide the batter between the two cake tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn the tins over on a wire rack and cool completely. 5 To assemble, remove the cakes carefully from the tins and pull off the baking paper. Spread the bottom cake layer with your favourite jam, place the second cake on top and garnish with whipped cream flavoured with the remaining vanilla essence and 5ml sugar. Top with fresh fruit of your choice as a final flourish.
BAKING TIPS • Don’t open the oven door while the cake is baking, until at least half of the baking time has expired. The cake may collapse due to the temperature fluctuations. • Did you know that fresh eggs will not get sufficiently stiff with beating? Store-bought eggs are usually a day or two old but if you use farm eggs, they must be left for a day or so before using them for baking. • Use eggs at room temperature when you bake, but store them in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer. • Check your oil before baking. The taste of old oil may affect the end result. Olive oil tastes rich and delicious, while rancid vegetable oil can give cakes a bad taste. • Egg whites will not get sufficiently stiff with beating if they come into contact with any grease, oil or egg yolk. Make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are clean and dry before you start beating.
Tiramisu meringue roulade This gluten-free cake is ideal for spoiling someone who can’t eat flour.
Makes 1 roulade Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Oven temperature: 170°C
• 60ml peanut sprinkles • 5 large egg whites • a pinch of cream of tartar • a pinch of salt • 5ml instant coffee or vanilla essence • 210g (250ml) castor sugar • cocoa or dark chocolate to garnish FILLING • 5 egg yolks • 30ml castor sugar • 30ml brandy • 1 tub mascarpone or full-fat cream cheese 1 Preheat the oven. Line a rectangular baking tray (23 x 30cm) with baking paper and sprinkle a layer of nuts on the paper. 2 Place the egg whites in a clean metal, glass or ceramic mixing bowl, add the cream of tartar and salt, and beat until the egg forms stiff peaks when you lift the beater. Stir the coffee into the sugar and whisk a spoonful of it at a time into the egg whites until the meringue is stiff and shiny. 3 Spoon dollops of the meringue onto the nuts in the prepared baking tray and spread carefully to form an even layer on top of the nuts. Now bake for about 20 minutes or until firm. Cool for at least 10 minutes. 4 Make a double boiler: pour 2cm boiling water into a small saucepan and place a glass or metal mixing bowl on top. Make sure the bowl fits snugly in the saucepan, sealing the gap without touching the water. Place the water on the stove. Remove the mixing bowl and beat the egg yolks, castor sugar and brandy together in it with an electric beater until it starts to thicken. Place the bowl over the boiling water (keep a potholder handy; the bowl will be hot) and beat for 8 minutes until very thick and cooked. Remove the mixing bowl from the heat, put it in ice water and beat until cold. Beat the mascarpone (in a separate bowl) until smooth then mix with the cooked egg mixture to make the tiramisu filling. 5 Spread the filling over the baked meringue and place in the fridge or freezer until the mascarpone layer is set. Using the baking paper to assist you, roll the meringue and filling up carefully so that the nuts are on the outside and place it, seam side down, on a serving platter. Garnish with sifted cocoa or grated dark chocolate and serve in thick slices. Store in the refrigerator.
[BANOFFEE VARIATION ] For an easier banoffee filling, beat 160g melted dark chocolate, 125ml cream and 125ml caramel together and spread it over the meringue. Arrange a layer of thinly sliced banana on top of the caramel layer and roll up the cake as above with the nuts on the outside.
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Greek chicken soup with lemon and egg Classic avgolemono is goodness in a bowl. Traditionally, the broth is served first, followed by the chicken and vegetables as a second course. I like to shred the chicken and serve it with the soup.
Serves 8 • Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours
• 15ml olive oil • 30ml butter • 1 large chicken, cut into pieces • 1 onion, halved and chopped • 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped • 2 leeks (white parts only), washed well and chopped • 3 medium-sized carrots, cut into quarters • 2 bay leaves • 5ml peppercorns • 3 sprigs each parsley and thyme • 125ml long-grain rice or orzo • 3 eggs • juice of 2 lemons
1 Melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan and fry the chicken until well browned. Stir in the vegetables, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stalks (keep the leaves for later) and thyme and cover with water (about 2.5L). Bring to the boil and simmer slowly for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. 2 Skim off any foam and strain the soup through a colander. Pour the soup back into the pot, season with salt, stir in the rice and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is al dente. The longer the soup stands, the thicker it will become as the rice swells. 3 Shred the cooked chicken and remove the skin and bones. Cut the vegetables smaller if preferred and place them with the chicken back in the pot, but discard the bay leaves, peppercorns and herb sprigs. Turn off the stove and let the soup cool slightly.
4 Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Now add a ladleful of soup to the eggs and beat together. Beat in about another 4 ladles of soup, then beat the egg mixture into the pot of soup. The reason for the back-and-forth beating is that the eggs mustn’t curdle and become stringy. Lastly, season the soup to taste with lemon juice (the amount depends on the acidity of the fruit). Garnish with a slice of lemon and sprinkle the chopped parsley leaves on top (although the latter is not done traditionally) and serve with bread for dipping.
Note Because there is no premade stock or stock powder in the soup, the taste is very clean – season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
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