Thursday, August 21, 2008

Eggbound

We are looking after Benoit's animals while he is on holiday in Canada.


We feed Pussy, issue of our house, who now resides with him.
Our other responsibilities revolve around his chicken empire. (Five laying birds)


I wobble off on my bicycle down the hill every morning to let out his flock and check their food and water and breathe a sigh of relief that another night has passed and I will not have to explain to him how the fox managed to burrow in and massacre them all.


I am to have free use of his eggs as a reward for my neighbourliness.
At first, this was a carrot that sustained me as I peddled back up the hill twice a day, shouting at a loitering Porridge to follow me or risk being squashed by the tractor that passes by about once a month.


But the blessing has become a mixed one. Four of our hens are laying as well.


We are starting to feel oppressed by this unlooked for bounty.


Darling D and I studied recipe books yesterday and realised that we might well be forced to eat lots of chocolate puddings. We decided to have a go at a cheese soufflé for starters. I felt that this might be a useful weapon in her armoury when French friends sneer at English kitchen incompetence cooking skills.










It was very successful as you can see, light and fluffy, but a bit, well .......eggy.










My eyes start to bulge like boiled eggs as I contemplate having to eat yet another one of these:




Any recipes for eggs that totally disguise the fact that you are eating eggs will be welcome. I eagerly await your suggestions... please... I can't go on much longer.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

How weird. I made a cake with 6 eggs last, which cleared me out of my weekly supermarket supply. It was pretty good though - but maybe a bit eggy/heavy for some. You could try it though.

Boil 2 oranges in the skins for 1hr. Let them cool a little, then cut them in half, remove the pips and chuck them into the food processor (skins and all!) with 6 eggs, 500g Powdered Almonds, 500g of white sugar (a lot I know, but if you use less it can be a bit bitter)whizz it all together, then and pour into a lined springform tin (about 26 to 30 cms should be OK) and bake at 180 for 1hr.

A little variation is to seperate the yolks from the whites, fluff them up on their own, then fold them in to the rest of the mix at the end. It makes for a much lighter cake.

Lovely served with creme fraiche, laced with Cointreau (lots of!)

Enjoy

Jean said...

Zabaglione with the yolks and meringue with the whites? Personally I could consume a fairly limitless quantity of either, though this would not be very good for me.

Zhoen said...

Got any other neighbors who like eggs?

Ok, how about this,

1940's Bread Pudding with rum sauce.
An inexact recipe, with inadequate directions or pan recommendations, but no matter, it has always turned out well even if I adjust and forget stuff.


Soak 4 Oz raisins for 1-2 hours in rum.

Preheat oven to 325

Mix together
1 Pound day old Bread ( 1/2 inch cubes) Drier works better. A mix of white and wheat is nice, but all wheat doesn't work well.
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Baking powder
4 OZ Raisins - the ones Soaked in rum 1-2 hours. I tend to use more than is called for, and this seems to work just fine.
4 OZ Peaches, drained Same here, I use whatever is in a can.

Mix together- then add to above
5 Eggs
1 Pound Sugar
1/4 Pound melted Butter

Mix together -then add to above
1 Quart Milk
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Rum Extract

Pour into baking pan, about 10X14 I think, adjust according to what you have.
Bake about 30 minutes or until it doesn't jiggle and turns brown on the top.

Rum Sauce Better in half
(1) 2 Tablespoons Sweet Butter
(1/8) 1/4 Cups Flour
(2) 4 Cups Milk
(1/4) 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
(2) 4 Teaspoons rum extract
(1) 2 Teaspoons Rum (the left over from the soaked raisins works well
(1/4) 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
(1/8) 1/4 Cup Eagle Brand Milk.
Mix and heat slowly stirring constantly over low heat...until it is hot I guess, I lost this part of the recipe. Treat as you would any heated milk, taking care not to curdle it.

Omykiss said...

Have you tried making an egg curry? I know they still look like eggs but the curry changes the tastes quite a bit.

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs
5 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
2 medium sized onion cut into quarters
3 medium sized tomatoes cut into quarters
2 green chillies
2 tsps garlic paste
2 tsps ginger paste
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:
Heat 2 tbsps of the cooking oil in a deep pan and when hot, add the onions. Fry till slightly golden. Turn off the fire. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pan and put them in a food processor. Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies into a smooth paste. Try not to add water while grinding, if possible.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the paste you just made to it when it is hot. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the ginger and garlic pastes, all the dry spices, mix and fry till the oil begins to separate from the onion-tomato-spice mix.
Add 2 cups of warm water and bring to a boil on a medium flame.
Half slit the boiled eggs vertically and add them gently to the gravy. Simmer for about 10 minutes or till the gravy is thickened.
Turn off the fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Rosie said...

tartetartan- thankyou..I especially like the lots of cointreau element to the recipe.
Jean- sounds good..I dont think surviving on eggs is very good for anyone's constitution. My cholesterol has probably hit new highs..
Zhoen yum yum, I'm off to put my hair in a 1940's French pleat and buy a bottle of rum...
omykiss..it is as though you can see into our spice cabinet...

Thank you all...I will try these out when my appetite returns

amy said...

The look on your daughter's face says it all!

Sorry I don't have any ideas to offer for recipes, but what about facials?

Lucy said...

Yes, she does look a little egged out! The soufflee looks rather splendid, though.

What an abundance of recipes you have collected. Does Porridge like scrambled eggs?

Leslie: said...

What about an old-fashioned potato and egg salad - bbq some hamburgers, and have potato salad and corn on the cob on the side. Then one of those (above) delicious desserts.

Rosie said...

amy - facials are a good idea, but what do you do? Surely you have to mix them with something... tomatoes? (we have a lot of those too!)
Lucy- Porridge has had the occasional egg supplement to her pig-bitingly expensive biscuits, but she is a bit tubby at the moment...
Leslie- you have hit on it...a barbecue party...in the rain...

Angela said...

Hiya, I am all with you, I don't like it when eggs take over in the kitchen. You could mix an egg up with beer and put it in your hair. Or have an egg-fight. Or make egg-nogg:
12 eggs
3 pints heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
nutmeg
1 cup bourbon whiskey
1 cup cognac
1/2 tsp salt

Beat yolks until light in color. Slowly add bourbon, cognac, while beating at slow speed. Chill 3 hrs. Add salt to whites, beat to peaks. Whip s cream until stiff. Fold whipped cream into yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill one hour. Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top. For thinner mixture add 1 or 2 cups of milk. Serve in a punch bowl or another big bowl.
Add more Bourbon for more potent mixture. Invite friends you deem too skinny. Try lots of times while making and don't make plans for the rest of the day, unless they require being very drunk.
Have fun!

meggie said...

Goodness, what a lot of nice egg recipes!
I love eggs, & luckily never have a cholestrol problem, so am able to eat them often.
I realise all the recipes are sweets, but everyone loves this Chocolate Souffle roll.
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornflour -cornstarch

Line a Swiss roll tin with greased paper.
Beat the yolks & sugar until thick.
Add cocoa & cornflour, sifted.
Beat the egg whites till stiff but not dry.
Gently fold into the yolk mixture.
Bake at 400F 200C for 10 -15 minutes.
Roll in a teatowel until cool.
Fill with whipped cream, & ice with chocolate icing if desired.
Kahlua is nice added to the cream!

herhimnbryn said...

I can't help thinking that living in La Belle France, it should be soft boiled eggs with black truffles? ;)

Mike said...

When all else fails, you can make a game of them by tossing the eggs at passing cars.

Anonymous said...

Slip a couple of those soufflee jobs over here and I'll give it some thought...

Rebecca said...
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