For the best boiled eggs, try to use eggs that are a few days old. Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel.
Boiled eggs
To test if the eggs are fresh, place one in a bowl of water; if it lies on its side, it is very fresh. If it stands on one end, it is older. If it floats, throw it away. Bring the eggs to room temperature if they were in the fridge (leave for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature). They will be less likely to crack if you do this. Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, so the eggs are just covered. Bring the water to the boil over a high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat to simmer gently. Set the timer from the time that the water boils. For soft-cooked yolks, simmer for two to three minutes from boiling. For medium-cooked yolks, leave in the water for four to five minutes, but if the eggs are extra large leave them for six to seven minutes. For hard-cooked yolks, simmer for 10 minutes. After cooking, drain the eggs and immediately transfer them to a bowl of cold or ice water to stop the cooking process. Don’t overcook the eggs – this will lead to a green layer forming around the yolk.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus rising time
Baking time: 1 hour
Oven temperature: 180°C
• 4 soft-boiled eggs,
Mealie bread
• 210g (385ml) cake flour
• 185g (265ml) whole-wheat flour
• 3ml cayenne pepper
• 10g instant yeast
• 410g can creamed sweetcorn
• corn cut from 2 cooked corn cobs
• 15ml sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 25ml sunflower oil
Garlic mushrooms
• 50ml butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pack of mixed mushrooms, sliced
• 4-6 courgettes, trimmed and peeled into ribbons
• 30ml freshly chopped parsley (optional)
1 Mix the flour, 5ml salt, cayenne pepper, yeast, sweetcorn, cut corn and sugar together in a large bowl
2 Whisk the eggs, oil and 250ml warm water together. Add to the dry ingredients, folding in a little at a time. When just combined, spoon the mixture into a greased loaf tin. Set aside to rise in a warm place for one hour.
3 Once the dough has risen, bake in a preheated oven for one hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.
4 Garlic mushrooms Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about three minutes or until almost tender. Add the courgette ribbons and toss. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to steam for a few minutes, or until tender. Add the parsley, if using. Serve the mushrooms with soft-boiled eggs and slices of mealie bread.
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