Baked eggs with cream and salt cured ham

Tags

bakedeggs, bayonne ham, Breakfast, cream, eggs, prosciutto

This must be one of the easiest and most delicious ways to serve eggs for breakfast. You can obviously use different types of ham but using prosciutto, Jamon Iberico, Serrano or Bayonne ham is best for this recipe.

I used Jambon de Bayonne, a salty boneless French ham, named after the southwestern France port city of Bayonne. This ham is still produced according to regulations founded on ancient practices and is still preserved exclusively with inland “mountain salt” found at the base of the Pyrenees mountains. The ham is aged for about 9 to 12 months.

According to a legend in the south of France, the Count of Foix was out hunting wild boar in the 14th century and wounded a boar. The animal escaped. Months later its carcass was found in the hot, salty spring water in the town of Salies-de-Béarn. The meat was apparently preserved and still edible! This discovery of the preservative qualities of salting pork led to a ham production industry in the area that still thrives today.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
4 slices ham
¼ cup cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160°C / 325°F
Generously butter 2 large ramekins and place on a baking sheet
Place 2 slices of ham in the base of each dish
Crack 2 eggs in each dish
Divide the cream and pour into each dish
Add some black pepper and salt if desired (but remember the ham is already salty)
Bake until eggs are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on how runny you like your yolks)
Sprinkle on some parsley and serve with a crusty baguette
Bon Appetit!

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Cheesy Courgette Bread AKA Zucchini Bread

Tags

bread, Cheese, courgette, savoury, zucchini

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This quick and delicious bread is about as easy as it gets.  No mixers, no kneading but here are a few little handy tips to ensure it turns out perfectly each time.

Firstly, you must squeeze all the water out of the grated courgette.  This is really important or your bread will not cook and will remain a sticky, dense mess stuck to the bottom of your pan.  Believe me, this happened to me the first time.  There is no need to peel the courgettes though. Use a box grater to grate the veggies then squeeze all the water out firstly with your hands then using a clean dish towel wrap the grated courgette in it and wring it out with all your might.  Now, measure that you have about 1 ½ cups, packed very tightly.

Regarding the cheese, use a strong cheese.  I used a vintage gouda or you could use an aged cantal or vintage cheddar, something with lots of flavour.
For the herbs, I used basil and chives from my garden but feel free to improvise and use what you have on hand.  If you do not have any fresh herbs handy, do not despair, a few teaspoons of dried herbs will do.

In this recipe I used milk and vinegar to basically make my own buttermilk as it is not always something I have around, especially in times of limited shopping and lockdown.  If you have buttermilk, use 1 cup of that and leave out the vinegar.  Otherwise making your own buttermilk is the easiest thing ever: for one cup of milk, (I used full fat but you may use low fat if you prefer), add 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, mix and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. How easy was that?

For an extra cheesy version, sprinkle the top of the loaf with a few tablespoons of cheese and place under the grill for a few minutes.
Freezes beautifully too.

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups grated courgette (2 medium)
1 ½ cups grated cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil & chives)
2 cups / 250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup / 250ml milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
Spray a 23cm X 13cm (9″ x 5″) bread tin with non-stick cooking spray
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
In another bowl, mix the milk and vinegar and allow to sit for a few minutes (or use buttermilk)
Add to the milk, the egg and butter and stir
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined – do NOT overmix
Add the courgette, cheese and fresh herbs
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
Allow the bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the tin
Remove from tin and place on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing
Add lots of butter and serve
Bon Appétit!

Crêpes – authentic sweet French crêpes

Tags

crepe, crepes, gouter, pancakes

Crêpes – what can be more of a french classic, and so very versatile too as they can served sweet or savoury?  These are authentic sweet french crêpes as one finds all over France, very thin and slightly crispy.  Fill them with jam, nutella, sugar, cinnamon, fruit, or a combination of the above. one of my favourites is nutella, banana and crème chantilly. Yum! I am getting hungry even thinking about it. The savoury version traditionally uses buckwheat flour and is often called a galette. That will be another post.

Note: If you are using whole milk, then use the water and milk combination. If you are using low fat milk, you can use all milk if you wish.

Ingredients:

• 125 ml / 1/2 cup cold milk
• 125 ml / 1/2 cup water, preferably cold
• 2 eggs
• 100 g / (3/4 cup +1 T) flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl
Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it, whisk together
In another bowl combine the milk, water and melted butter
Gradually add small quantities of the milk, water and butter mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk)

Whisk until the batter is smooth, about the consistency of thin cream
Blender method: Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (or blender jug). Blend with an immersion blender until everything is combined, scrapping down the sides of the bowl a few times. If there are lumps, continue blending until the lumps are gone
Cover the mixing bowl with a plastic wrap, place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the batter for at least 1 hour before using to allow flour particles to expand in the liquid to yield a tender and light crepe. The batter can be made the day before and kept chilled until ready to use.
Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat – I use a 20cm /8″ crêpe pan
Sprinkle droplets of water onto the pan and if the water sizzles immediately, it means the pan is hot enough for use
Brush a thin layer of melted butter onto the pan
Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crêpe
Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly
Cook for about 30 seconds until the edges begin to brown, then loosen the crêpe with a spatula and turn to the other side to cook for another 30 seconds
Transfer the cooked crêpe onto a plate and repeat until all the batter is used up
Enjoy!
Tips:
After cooking the first crêpe, determine if ¼-cup of batter is too much or too little and adjust the batter amount for the subsequent crêpes.
The crêpe batter consistency should be that of a light cream, just thick enough to coat a spoon. If you find the batter too thick or heavy you may whisk in water, tablespoon by tablespoon. You only want enough to coat the bottom of the pan, without any extra pooled in the middle. Pour the batter into the pan, lifting the pan up to tilt it, allowing the batter to swirl all the way over the bottom of the pan in a very thin layer. If you have poured in too much, pour out the excess.
If the crêpe is burning or setting too fast for your comfort, lower the heat slightly or place the frying pan on a wet tea towel for 5 to 10 seconds to cool down the frying pan slightly.