eggs on whisky paper
Eating solo has many benefits. As Nigella Lawson has so often pointed out, you can eat exactly as you please without a thought for fellow diners quirks. In fact you can be as downright quirky in your eating as you like. With the Artist overseas for a few days, much further away I’m afraid to say than usual, I’m fast becoming the queen of the solo meal. Only thing is some of these meals aren’t worth noting in these pages, let alone photographing. Delicious, yes, just not so pretty. So there’s a drawing of eggs instead. Much more poetic.
This meal is however not quirky. It’s creamy, spicy and moreish. And fast. Just make sure you use the best eggs you can afford. That means, obviously, no caged eggs. An egg from a bird that’s been allowed to scratch around in the grass, peck out a meal for itself and stretch its wings is the best kind.
Parsee scrambled eggs - for 1
Adapted from Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Food
1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ bunch of spring onions, greens too, finely chopped
Small knob of ginger, peeled and grated
Large pinch of chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
3 tinned tomatoes, drained
2 organic eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water
Sea salt
Small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Warm the ghee in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, spring onions, grated ginger and chilli flakes and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or so (the onion should have a tinge of gold to it). Add the spices and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down a fraction and add the egg mixture, a pinch of salt and the coriander. Stir gently until the eggs begin to set in places – mine took about 1 minute, yours may take less. You are aiming for a creamy texture rather than hard bullets. Serve on hot, buttered toast.
25 comments:
mmm sounds yummy! and i love your drawing :)
oooh my grandmother makes something a little like this and it is indeed moreish!
did you do the drawing yourself? it's lovely :)
Eating solo can definitely be a pleasure - there's much to be said for being able to enjoy a dish that's as spicy as you like, or eating on the couch in your grubbies! This recipe you posted sounds delicious.
Ari (Baking and Books)
Lucy,
That drawing has your black, smudged signature all over it. Excellent. Excellent eggs, too. There are a handful of Parsi cookbooks out there; after this post, I want to investigate them further - vaguely Persian-influenced Indian - quite heady.
Your eggs are beautiful, Lucy. I love to cook for myself too, but I know we solo hedonists are in the minority. I can never understand it when people say, "Oh, I wouldn't cook JUST for myself"!
Sounds like a lovely solitary dinner. And I adore your drawing. More please!
With D away I'm eating a LOT of mushrooms and blue cheese, two things he loathes (won't even let me kiss him if I've been eating Stilton!).
I'm a Slater fan too. Do you know he writes a food column in The Guardian each week? You'll find the articles in the online version in the lifestyle/food section. :)
It's really rather good Maninas. Perfect for one. Thanks!
I did Truffle, on some old crinkly whisky paper I found in my box of bits and pieces.
Ari, you are right. No need to dress up or anything. In fact the daggier your outfit, the better a solo meal tastes.
Don't tell me there are more books I need to investigate Susan ;). Nigel uses 1 fresh tomato, deseeded and chopped and, in season, that would be ideal. Yep, that's my smudges alright. Glad you recognised them!
Nor do I Rosa! Sure, you're not going to make a three course meal, but there are so many single serve options. Encourages creativity I think.
What is it about blokes and mushrooms Wendy? The Artist is very keen to avoid them. But he does love lush, stinky blue cheeses thankfully. I'm thinking that more drawings and collages would be good here. Will check out Nigel post haste - thanks for the tip!
love your drawings - great activity for when you have time to yourself - but what is whisky paper - is it the label from a bottle? wish I could appreciate your eggs but I think they look much nicer than they taste!
Johanna, it's the wrapping from an expensive bottle of whisky the Artist brought home from one of his travels. It's thin, crinkly and has gold text all over it - very nice to draw on!
Oh I do love Indian-style scrambled eggs. I was first introduced to this idea by Madhur Jaffrey. Her World Vegetarian is one of my favourite recipe books of all time.
It includes a few recipes for Indian-style stir-fried eggs - my favourite has cayenne, turmeric, cumin, onion, ginger, tomato and chilli - so much more satisfying than plain I think!
Must drag that book out again Kathryn. It's pretty good stuff. Have you seen 'Silk Road Vegetarian Cooking'? It's wonderful and covers much of the same territory. Well worth a look.
Lucy, this is so lovely. The best eggs I have eaten is from my grandmother's home raised chickens. It's fresh and lovely. I miss it!
No I haven't seen that book Lucy - I'll hunt it down. Thanks for the recommendation
Fresh eggs from happy hens taste so good - texture, colour, flavour in a world of their own. Once tasted never forgotten.
Thanks for the recipe - one to try for lunch.
Celia
That does sound incredibly moreish, and your drawing is beautiful!
Poor Lucy, I'm so sorry to hear it's lonely there right now! But I love the sound of these eggs - especially made with proper free range eggs - and your drawing's beautiful indeed.
Ahn, If I had enough space, I'd have some chickens too. Your grandmother's would taste lovely, no doubt about that!
Hi Celia, yes they do taste somehow happier. Enjoy your lunch.
Thanks Denin - it's nearly worthwhile upping the egg content in case you'd like just a little more.
Thanks for your kind words , but I'm not too lonely Amanda, cooking for two however is very different for cooking for one ;)
When I am lonely I just starve my self, eating only salads and salads and...euhhh salad? I believe you when you say that your dish will make you feel better. It sounds delicious Lucy.
What a lovely draw...The eggs recipe looks so good too
Are you selling that wonderful piece of art??? There's a buyer here!
With ginger and coriander, this would make a great companion! I admire your drawing as well.
Very nice little sketch there. And the eggs sound like a simply delicious solo feast.
I'd love to see more of your drawings.
I've ordered the book - and am eagerly waiting it's arrival! It looks fabulous. Thanks for the recommendation Lucy.
your drawing is lovely =) whats better than fresh organic eggs!
Salads are gorgeous too Rose, especially as you can chuck in exactly what YOU want!
Thanks Sylvia - it's really creamy.
You know Stephanie, hadn't thought about seling, but I know how much you love your eggs! I'll be in contact if you're interested - aren't you lovely?!
Good and spicy, Susan. Great flavours.
Thanks Christina - the response has been (nearly) overwhelming! Will put more on as time and inclination allow.
Kathryn, you won't regret it. I keep it by the bed...
Thanks Ironeaters - nothing compares, does it?
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