Eggs have universal appeal. They sit humbly on the kitchen counter, always there for baking banana bread and scones to keep us entertained during lockdown, nourish us with a quick, comforting breakfast or midnight snack, and assure us by their presence on the shopping list that there will always be something delicious, filling and healthy to eat.
If you are looking to treat your taste buds, here are two egg-citing recipes from the South African Poultry Association (SAPA):
Roasted brinjal shakshuka
Serves 2 – 4
Preparation time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 medium brinjal, sliced into strips
- 45ml (3 tbsp) sunflower oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 60ml (¼ cup) chicken stock
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh basil, torn
- 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh coriander, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Generously brush all sides of the brinjal with oil and season well. Bake 15 minutes, until lightly charred and soft turning once.
- Heat a frying pan with a little oil, add the garlic and onions and sauté over medium heat until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the red peppers and chili and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture from burning.
- Mix in the brinjal, tomatoes, stock, and herbs. Gently simmer, covered, over medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes, making sure that the mixture does not become very dry. Add more stock only if needed, shakshuka should be a dry-ish sauce.
- With the back of a tablespoon, make small indentations and crack the eggs into the holes. Season, cover and allow the eggs to poach for about 8 minutes depending on your liking.
- Sprinkle with coriander and serve.
Scotch eggs and salad
Serves 2 – 4
Preparation time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
Ingredients for coating
- 30ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil
- 500g lean beef mince
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) onion, finely chopped
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the crust
- 60g cake flour, seasoned
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 70g breadcrumbs
Method
- Boil the 4 eggs for 5 minutes and immediately run cold water over them, peel and set aside.
- Combine all the coating ingredients and set aside.
- Set up one bowl with the flour, one bowl with the eggs and one bowl with the breadcrumbs.
- Take a portion of the coating mixture and flatten into a patty, place one boiled egg in the centre of the patty and gently draw the mince mixture around the egg, smoothing over with wet hands.
- Roll the covered egg into the flour, then into the egg mixture and finally into the breadcrumbs, making sure each layer is evenly and well coated. Place into a bowl and do the same for all the eggs.
- Bring a pot of oil to 160°C and gently place the coated eggs into the hot oil and fry until golden (about 8 minutes), drain on paper towel and allow to cool a little before serving with salad.
For more information visit www.sapoultry.co.za or follow EGGcellentFood on Facebook.
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