Sweet and buttery havarti cheese gives these ramekin-baked eggs an extra layer of flavour, making them extra special.
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
30g baby spinach leaves
8 eggs
1/2 cup havarti cheese, grated
Garlic toast:
40g butter, softened
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
4 slices thick toast bread
Preheat oven to 175°C fanbake. Lightly grease 4 small ovenproof serving dishes (about 1-cup capacity).
Mix cream and nutmeg together and season with salt and pepper. Place a few spinach leaves in the base of each dish and divide seasoned cream between the dishes. Crack 2 eggs into each one and top with grated cheese.
Place dishes in a roasting pan and fill pan with boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bake 5-10 minutes or until golden and the eggs are just set (they will continue to cook in the cream for a few minutes longer). Serve immediately with garlic toast.
Toast: Combine butter, garlic and parsley and spread on toast bread. Grill until toasted and golden.
Serves 4
Apple, Bran and Molasses MuffinsMakes 12-16
Cheddar and Chive Fluffy OmeletteBeating the egg whites separately from the yolks ensures an airy omelette.
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon chopped chives
2 tablespoons grated cheddar
Optional: 2 thin slices prosciutto or Parma ham (or try chorizo or smoked salmon for a change)
Grease or spray a single-serve omelette pan and place over a medium heat.
Whisk together egg yolks, cream and chives and season with salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Fold whites into yolks.
Pour mixture into heated pan and let it settle for a minute then gently move the outside egg into the centre, letting the liquid egg move to the sides. When you feel the egg is half-cooked, stop moving the egg and let it settle on the base to create a golden crust. Top with cheese and lay ham over if using.
Serve omelette straight from the pan or flip in half and turn out onto a warmed plate.
Serves 1
Corned Beef and Hash Cakes with Home-made Tomato SauceThis is a riff on that traditional British breakfast fry-up, corned beef hash - albeit somewhat “tidier” and with home-cooked beef instead of the tinned stuff.
Corned beef:
1 piece corned beef, about 1kg
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 whole cloves
2 star anise
6 peppercorns
Hash cakes:
6 medium potatoes
40g butter
1/4 leek, finely sliced
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg
Oil for shallow-frying
Tomato sauce:
400g can diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
Beef: Place corned beef in a large pot and three-quarters cover with water. Add vinegar, sugar and spices, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 1½ hours. Remove lid, turn meat over and cook a further 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from stock and let cool before slicing across the grain.
Hash cakes: Peel potatoes and cut into even-sized pieces. Boil in salted water
for 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and mash coarsely.
Heat butter in a frying pan and sauté leek and celery until softened. Add sautéed vegetables and butter to mashed potato and stir in parsley and egg. Season well with salt and pepper. Shape into about 12 cakes and fry in hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side until golden.
Sauce: Combine all ingredients in
a medium saucepan and simmer 5-8 minutes until slightly reduced and saucy. Season to taste and allow to cool.
Serve sliced beef with hot hash cakes and the tomato sauce.
Serves 6
Bacon and Egg Breakfast BurgersWe used eye bacon (smaller, leaner rashers of middle bacon) but these burgers would also work well with split grilled sausages or warm ham off the bone. You could also try adding a few slices of avocado or sauteed portobello mushrooms.
vine tomatoes, in bunches (to serve 6)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 small sprigs rosemary
6 English muffins, pulled apart
12-18 slices rindless eye bacon (we used Freedom Farms)
6 eggs
About 1 cup rocket leaves
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon liquid honey
1 cup hollandaise sauce (we used Kato brand)
Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake. Toss tomatoes with vinegar, brown sugar and rosemary leaves and roast 10-12 minutes until just bursting. (Or cut larger tomatoes in half and cook 5-8 minutes in a frying pan or preheated oven until juicy and starting to caramelise.)
Toast muffins until golden and keep warm. Fry or bake bacon until crisp and cooked to your liking.
Fry eggs in a little of the bacon fat left in the pan and cover for 1 minute to set yolks (or poach the eggs if preferred).
To serve, fill each muffin with bacon slices, an egg and some rocket leaves and drizzle over combined mustard, honey and hollandaise.Serve with the roasted tomatoes on the side.
Serves 6
Oaty Hotcakes with Marinated Prunes and Caramel SauceJuicy sweet prunes, rich and creamy caramel sauce and tender, lightly spiced hotcakes make a divine plateful. The prunes and sauce are also fabulous with ice cream as a dessert.
Marinated prunes:
150g pitted prunes
2-3 10cm strips orange zest (no pith)
1 fragrant tea bag, eg Earl Grey, Lady Grey or a floral herbal blend
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup maple syrup
Caramel sauce:
50g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Hotcakes:
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
About 1 cup buttermilk
Spray oil or butter
Prunes: Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes then remove tea bag. (Prunes will keep for a few days in the fridge.)
Sauce: Heat butter and brown sugar in a small pot or frying pan, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cook 2-3 minutes until slightly darkened and caramelised - the sugar will start to smell burnt. Carefully whisk in cream and vanilla (the mixture will splutter and spit and bits of toffee will form but these will eventually dissolve) and simmer 2 minutes. (Sauce will keep for a few days in the fridge and can be gently warmed in the microwave before serving.)
Hotcakes: Sift flour into a bowl and stir in oats, caster sugar and cinnamon. Whisk in beaten eggs and enough buttermilk to create a spoonable batter. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes or longer in the fridge (a few hours is fine).
Heat a non-stick frying pan and spray with oil or lightly grease with butter. Cook large spoonfuls of mixture over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and edges begin to set, then flip and continue to cook until golden and puffed. Transfer to a warm place while cooking the remaining batter.
Serve hotcakes immediately with the prunes and a little syrup and the warm caramel sauce.
Serves 6
Story: Jo Wilcox
Photographs: Kieran Scott
Stylist: Claudia Kozub
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Baked Eggs with Spinach and Garlic Toast
