Egging You On!

I love how versatile eggs are, kawan kawan! I love it that  you can do almost anything and everything with eggs.

Paintings dating as far back as the 1st century still exist because they were painted with an egg tempera, making them exceedingly long lasting.  Egg tempera was a primary method of painting until after the 1500s before the invention of oil paints which then replaced and superseded egg tempera paintings.

The whites of eggs when smeared generously over a baby’s bottom act as a natural barrier that can prevent nappy rash. How cool is that?  No need for sudocream, or whatever barrier creams out there.

Eggs also make very nourishing face masks.  Egg whites are known to cleanse, exfoliate and tighten your pores whilst the yolks moisturise, nourish and smooth your skin.

A friend of mine swears by her egg yolk hair mask, which she says conditions her long blond tresses and keeps her highlights looking fresh.

Beat an egg in a metal bowl and dip your chicken juliennes in them before coating with breadcrumbs or crumbed cornflakes.  The beaten egg will bind the meat to the crumbs easily.

Wake up late on a Sunday morning, children/husband/household pets permitting, slip on something easy, like a pair of joggers and an old T-shirt and put on your best super large sunglasses, take a stroll down to the nearest bistro/café/pub, newspaper in hand, just in time for a brunch of Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine. If in London, ask for a side order of hash browns, or extra strips of bacon, read your paper in between mouthfuls of runny poached eggs soaked in Hollandaise sauce.  If in Paris, take the eggs as they come, don’t complain if they’re not runny enough or you’ll get the perfunctory “C’est comme ça!”, forget about a side of order of bacon because no side dish of bacon exists, relax and read your  Le Figaro, if you understand enough French and be thankful that you can even find something close to Eggs Benedict in the City of Light.

Sunday Brunch

Have you tried a type of egg cooked in an aromatic liquorice sauce made with green tea and soya sauce infused with star anise?  This is called tea eggs and is eaten widely as a snack food in China, Taiwan and some parts of SE Asia.  These eggs can be eaten hot or cold and is simply delish – sedap!

Here’s the recipe:

Boil 6 – 8 eggs in slightly salted water until cooked thoroughly and set aside. When cooled, tap lightly and crack the egg shells without removing them.

The sauce:

3 cups of water

2 tbsp dark soya sauce

2 tsp of green tea leaves

1/4 tsp of granulated white sugar

1 tsp of salt

2 – 3 star anise

1 stick of cinnamon

2 pieces of dried Mandarin peel (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil.  Then place the cracked eggs into the liquid which should be high enough to cover all the eggs.  Simmer for up to 2 hours, adding water when necessary.  There should still be liquid left in the saucepan when the 2 hours are up.  To get a more intense flavour, it is advisable to simmer the eggs for longer than 2 hours, adding water  as you see fit.

Before eating your egg, remove the cracked shell, you’ll see before you a dappled hard boiled egg, streaked where the shells were cracked with the soya sauce that had been stewing the eggs.  Savour the hints of liquorice from the star anise and let the slight taste of cinnamon linger on your tongue.  This eggy snack can be devoured in two morsels and trust me, you’ll want another.  They taste even better the next day too.

Tea Eggs

A nest of egg feathers sitting atop a bed of garlic fried rice looks picture perfect.  I used a crêpe pan to ensure that my omelette is paper thin.  It only took a minute on each side before the omelette was done.  Then with a sharp knife, I sliced the omelette into feathery strips and sprinkled them over the rice. Et voilâ!

Egg Feathers atop Garlic Fried Rice

The Japanese steamed egg dish called chawanmushi is a delight.  It glides down your throat without making a fuss and leaves in your mouth the rest of the ingredients to be masticated and savoured.  This dish is a really tasty winning dish to wean your baby into solids.  I did for both my girls and they loved it!

Share your egg recipes with me, kawan kawan.  I would love to know what you do with your eggs.