Eggs are probably the thing I cook with most often. They’re what I turn to when I’m ravenous or feeling uninspired, when I’m rushed off my feet and want food fast, or just when I crave something comforting. Sometimes it’s as simple as eggs (boiled, poached, scrambled or fried) on toast — with the addition of salted butter, a glug of olive oil, perhaps a smear of Marmite or a dollop of verdant pesto.
At other times the eggs are an accent, that little touch that elevates what would otherwise be a bland meal: I might add a soft-boiled egg, still gloriously runny in the middle, to a bag of green salad leaves that have been lightly dressed with a dash of mustard, olive oil and vinegar, a few pumpkin seeds or crusty-bread croutons. Or if I have some leftover cold rice or lentils to hand I’ll toss a boiled egg (or two) in there along with a handful of toasted flaked almonds, some capers or slivers of sweet red onion.
Other times, the eggs are the star of the meal: this usually means an omelette (if I’m cooking just for me or I’m in a hurry) or a frittata (if I’ve got longer to play around in the kitchen). The joy of these sorts of recipes is they’re blank canvases, to which you can add whatever you like: vegetables (cooked or raw), olives, cheese, potato or leftovers of pretty much any kind.
Uova alla contadina
This literally translates as “farmer’s eggs” and closely resembles uova in purgatorio and shakshuka, but comes with the welcome addition of diced cheese and a generous sprinkling of golden parmesan on top. I would happily eat this for any meal of the day — ideally with some crusty bread on the side for mopping up the tomato juices. I like to use scamorza, but any kind of mild cheese that melts nicely will work well, even a mild cheddar.
Serves
2-4
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Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
A small bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
10g salted butter
100g scamorza, diced
4 eggs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1. Heat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan). Heat the olive oil in a deepish, medium-sized ovenproof pan — something like a risotto pan would be ideal. Add the tinned tomatoes followed by the basil and leave to simmer for 3-5 min, until it’s bubbling hot. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Sprinkle the diced cheese into the tomato sauce, ensuring you distribute it evenly over the pan, then carefully crack the eggs into the four “corners” of the pan. Lastly, sprinkle over the grated parmesan and cover with tinfoil.
3. Put the pan in the oven for 15 min, then remove the tinfoil and cook uncovered for a further 5-7 min, until the cheese on top has melted and is golden and the egg whites are firm and opaque.
Fennel, egg and mozzarella gratin
This is an unexpected flavour combination and certainly took me by surprise when I first tried it. But it works brilliantly and, like all forms of gratin, makes for soul-soothing comfort food. The buttery, almost sweet fennel complements the eggs and melted cheese perfectly.
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Serves
4
Ingredients
800g fennel (roughly 3 medium-sized bulbs)
60g salted butter
300g mozzarella
4 eggs
40g grated parmesan
1. Heat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan). Trim the fennel bulbs and chop them into pieces roughly 3cm thick and as evenly sized as you can, though don’t worry about it too much.
2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized ovenproof pan, then add the chunks of fennel and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 min until the fennel turns glassy in colour and is lightly browned at the edges. Take the pan off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the mozzarella into 1cm-thick rounds and arrange the slices over the fennel, leaving four gaps for the eggs. Crack an egg into each of the gaps, then top all over with the grated parmesan.
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4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 min until the cheese has melted and the eggs are cooked, then set under a hot grill for 3-5 min to get the cheese all bubbly and golden.
Red pepper and feta frittata
If an omelette is the simplest solution to what to cook for one person, a frittata is my go-to for a crowd. It’s every bit as chunky and solid as the omelette is delicate and pancake-flimsy. I tend to make it with whatever I have in the fridge — a bubble and squeak of sorts. I’ll throw in leftover roast potatoes, lots of herbs, courgette, cheese, olives, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, you name it … But I do have a soft spot for this particular combination: the tender, almost caramelised sweetness of the peppers with the blunt, exquisitely salty feta.
Serves
6
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 peppers, sliced into 1cm-thick strips
9 eggs
40g grated parmesan
A small bunch of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
100g feta
1. Heat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan). Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large ovenproof frying pan. Add the onion and peppers and fry gently for 3-5 min until slightly coloured, then add 100ml or so of water and cook for 10-12 min, until all the liquid has evaporated and the peppers have softened a little.
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2. Meanwhile crack the eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl and lightly whisk with a fork, then stir in the parmesan. When the peppers are cooked, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the herbs are evenly distributed. Now crumble over the feta and pour in the eggs. Turn the heat down to low and cook gently on the hob for 15 min, until the bottom of the frittata is set and lightly coloured.
3. Put the frittata in the oven for 15 min, until the top has set and is lightly golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Artichoke and ricotta omelette
I love this flavour combination — the erratic pops of intense saltiness from the anchovy, the seductively light and creamy ricotta, and that distinctive, slight bitterness from the artichokes (jarred, of course). If you really don’t like anchovies you can leave it out, but if that’s the case I recommend seasoning the ricotta generously with salt (and perhaps even a dash of pepper) before spooning it onto the omelette.
Serves
1
Ingredients
100g ricotta
1 tinned anchovy, finely chopped
A small bunch of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
1 tbsp double cream
10g salted butter
100g jarred baby artichokes
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1. Combine the ricotta and the chopped anchovy in a small bowl and mix well. Add three quarters of the parsley and stir until combined.
2. Set the seasoned ricotta to one side. In a second small mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a fork. Add the cream, whisk lightly again, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan set over a medium heat, then pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to spread the mixture out evenly, using a fork to spread the eggs around the pan a little if you need to.
4. When the omelette begins to cook and firm up but still has a little raw egg on top — after roughly 1-2 min — spoon the ricotta mixture over half of the omelette. Top with the baby artichokes and use a spatula to fold the omelette in half, as though you’re closing a book.
5. Cook for another minute or so, and when it starts turning golden brown underneath, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelette onto a plate.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.
Know your eggs
● You can’t judge an egg by its colour. When a chicken’s diet is rich in maize and flora such as marigold flowers their eggs will have a yellower yolk, but farmers can also simply add pigment to the feed to achieve the same effect.
● Unless your kitchen is very hot, there is no need to keep eggs in the fridge. Fluctuations in temperature cause them to deteriorate more quickly, so store them at the same temperature as where you bought them, typically 16-18C.
● For perfect scrambled eggs, use a generous amount of butter and allow it to foam before adding lightly beaten eggs. Cook very gently, stirring only intermittently with a spatula to create rich, silky curds.
● The secret to poached eggs is to start with the right size. Larger eggs generally come from older hens and the protein chains in the whites are looser and more likely to disperse in the water. Small to medium eggs will have more viscous whites, which cling better to the yolk.
Tony Turnbull
