Covid-19 lockdown has given everyone plenty of opportunities to experiment with their cooking, to go back to old favourites and to try out some of those newspaper cut-out recipes.
Not everything we have tried has worked but we are generally very pleased rather than disappointed. In this post we include two savoury and one sweet successes where eggs are a key ingredient.
Egg and Bacon Pie
The egg and bacon pie is a very simple but effective concept that really delivers in terms of looks and taste. Yet it gets swept aside because cooks think they need to produce something that is more sophisticated in name and ingredient. Use best quality eggs and bacon or ham and everyone will be very happy. Use good quality store pastry or make your own. Serve it straight from the oven, or warm or cold. There are recipes everywhere but this one – Stephanie Alexander’s recipe – is a good starting point. You don’t need to use so many eggs. Substitute the bacon with ham or similar, and consider sauteing a diced leek and adding it with the bacon/ham.
George’s Spinach with Bacon and Egg
We have written about this concept elsewhere on this blog – spinach with egg and/or bacon . It is one of my father’s favourite breakfast dishes: fresh spinach straight from his garden, steamed over a little butter and served on buttered toast. Often he would gently steam bacon and/or an egg on top of the spinach. The dish is so simple. Here we have used the microwave oven but it is easily achieved in a saucepan with a lid. With the microwave, use small bowls that you can cover and cook with a few short bursts: soften the spinach in a little oil and/or butter; then add the bacon briefly to heat through, then add the eggs.
Basque burnt cheesecake
It seems all cheesecakes have to have a base make of crumbed biscuits (cookies). This Basque version doesn’t and so it is easier to make. It is cooked at high heat and thus tends to come out rather browned, if not blackened. However, it has an appealing creamy centre. You will find various recipes and versions. We tried this one – Matt Preston’s recipe – and we will definitely try it again. We actually made a smaller version, using a 20cm tin and reducing the quantities by one quarter. It does have a dramatic impact when served intact at the table.
