Any Eggscuse

ANY EGGSCUSE – a story of love

RECIPES & IMAGES FIONA HUGUES

I’d gladly bet on the notion that scrambled eggs was probably my first solid food – a little pale yellow pillow of salty delight deviously slipped into my eager infant gob via my mother’s fashionable fingertip.

It’s been a passionate affair ever since, and I adore an eggy anything, especially when comfort is needed. Soft melty scrambled eggs on a piece of heavily buttered sourdough is my death bed number one dish and when I’m stricken with no idea what to cook for dinner fast, nine times out of ten, to the rescue humble ovum. Delightedly with the recent whiff of spring in the air, my chooks are back on the lay after a barren few months of winter and they’re delivering their little orbs of delicious meal potential daily. I’m not going to bore you with how to make my blatantly obvious soul food dishes, but instead am sharing swankier versions of how I like to share my egg adoration with friends. Recipes good for brunch, lunch or dinner, these are some of my favourites – “where there’s an egg, there’s always a meal”.

SAUCE PRINTEMPS

All of these dishes involve my go to zesty sauce printemps (spring sauce), which pretty much is a french persillade or herb sauce that usually features parsley. My version isn’t exactly a traditional persillade, as I like to add other herbs and/or lemon zest, which chefs would say makes it more of a gremolata. Sometimes I use vinegar which purists would say makes it a chimichurri, but whatever the damn way you make it, I don’t care, it tastes bloody good – do add whatever you like that takes your fancy and do to it whatever makes it your own. Spoon it over everything. It’s particularly magnificent on top of dairy and ramps up your meaty ragout pasta to outstanding.

large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped or use your favourite soft springtime herb garlic clove, crushed ½ cup olive oil approx. juice and zest of a large lemon flaked salt fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, taste and adjust seasoning. Add a touch of honey if your parsley is a little bitter and feel free to add more oil or lemon to suit. Best made and eaten on the day but will keep covered in the fridge overnight.

MY FRENCH COCKTAIL EGGS

I love a jammy, fudgy egg yolk but happy to admit there’s a few that don’t. Never mind. This recipe is a ripper whichever way you like them and perfect on a warm spring afternoon with a chilled glass of something lovely. To soft boil eggs my way bring a large pot of water to the boil, and with a slotted spoon lower in about 6–7 eggs, giving them a spin when you do so the yolk is centred. Turn down the temperature so you maintain a gentle boil and keep them in there for 7 minutes. Scoop out and plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking. Peel when cool.

6–7 large soft boiled free range eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthways 1 tbsp sauce printemps (see above) ¹/³ cup good quality mayonnaise salt & pepper

In a small bowl mix together the mayo and sauce printemps. Dollop a wee spoonful on top of each egg half and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Devour immediately.

Niçoise (pronounced ni'swaz) salad originated in the French city of Nice and has been popular since the early 20th century. Its official ingredients are hotly argued about within the culinary elite. For me it is the best use of boiled eggs, tuna in a can, fresh spring beans and beloved salty olives together, and this is the way I like it. If it doesn’t float your boat on a sunny day, then off you can sail.

425g tin of tuna in springwater ¼ cup capers ½ red onion, finely chopped 6–7 soft boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half horizontally ¹/³ cup plus 1–2 tbsp sauce printemps (see page 39) ¼ cup Greek yoghurt ¼ cup mayonnaise ½ cup mixed olives 10–12 cooked gourmet potatoes, cut lengthwise handful of steamed green beans cos lettuce leaves handful of mixed cherry tomatoes, some cut in half, some left whole olive oil fresh dill

Stir together the yoghurt, mayonnaise and sauce printemps. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the chopped onion, capers and tuna with ¹/³ cup sauce printemps. In another bowl add the olives and tomatoes with a tablespoon of the sauce pintemps. Season with black pepper and set aside. Arrange everything on a large platter, topping with a decent drizzle of the yoghurt mayonnaise down the middle. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a shower of fresh dill to finish. I especially love this fast simple dish when you’re a little dusty from the night before and need something to line your stomach and give yourself a wee pep up. Cooling herb yoghurt topped with saucy eggs and a jazzy melted nduja butter situation with lots of toast to mop up the goodness is a cracker remedy for anything. You can find jars of nduja at specialty food stores. It’s a spicy, spreadable pork sausage with lots of chilli from the region of Calabria in Southern Italy.

2 large free-range eggs, poached 1 tbsp sauce printemps (see page 39) ²/³ cup Greek yoghurt 1½ tbsp nduja paste (available at Vetro) 2 tbsp butter sourdough toast to serve flatleaf parsley to serve

To poach my eggs, I add a little white vinegar to my barely boiling pot of water, make a whirlpool with a spoon and drop my eggs in. A couple of minutes and they’re done. Scoop out with a slotted spoon. Stir the sauce printemps into the yoghurt and smear onto the side of a serving platter. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the nduja. Break up with a wooden spoon and sizzle for a minute to create a chunky, oily sauce. Lay the poached eggs onto the yoghurt sauce, pour over the sizzling nduja butter, and season. Add some flatleaf parsley if feeling virtuous. Devour straight away.

Fiona Hugues

Award winning food stylist, designer & creative multi-hyphenate Fiona Hugues spent her childhood gallivanting around the Waikato countryside on horse back. After Hillcrest High School, Elam School of Fine Arts took her to Auckland where she has lived ever since and now resides on a rural property with her French husband, their three children & a plethora of animals. She’s an entertaining expert, sourdough coach, art director and gourmand and it’s said in dire circumstances she would possibly trade one of her children for a bottle of Pinot Grigio & a good burrata.