Scrambled Eggs with Alba White Truffles (Andrew Fairlie, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 knobs of butter
- 1 tbsp of double cream or creme fraiche
- Salt
- 5-10g Alba truffles (available from Whole Foods, Borough Market and other good suppliers)
There's nothing creamier than a warming bowl of French-style scramble, but let's be honest - the truffle's the main event here.
Scotland-based 2 Michelin-starred chef Andrew Fairlie takes a classic French approach, carefully stirring in whisked eggs and a knob of butter over very low heat. Key tip: never stop stirring.
Move the eggs around the pan so they cook evenly, then as the eggs begin the set fold in another knob of butter and continue to cook slowly. Be patient: this will take between 10 and 15 minutes. When the eggs finally set, fold in a tablespoon of cold double cream (or creme fraiche) and remove from heat. Season the eggs with salt, spoon onto a warmed plate, and smother with as many white truffles as you can afford.
Chef's tip: the final egg scramble should look smooth and creamy, almost like a yolk-coloured cream
Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder PH3, 01764 694267. andrewfairlie.co.uk
Akuri (Atul Kochhar, Benares)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- Fresh coriander
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- Pinch of green chilli powder (or fresh chilli)
- Salt
Akuri isn't technically the same as scrambled eggs, but it'll put your spice rack to good use. Benares' Atul Kochar isn't offering anything vastly technical for the Parsi staple, also known as Egg Bhurji, but it's a delicious twist on this classic dish.
Begin by sautéing onion, ginger, tomatoes and chilli in a hot pan until they're translucent. Incorporate salt and turmeric as aromatics before folding in briskly-beaten eggs over medium heat.
From then on, the process is quick, Kochhar says: simply move the eggs around the pan with a spatula for no more than two minutes, then remove from the heat and serve immediately.
*Chef's tip: consider using duck-eggs as their firmer whites and richer, more gamey yolks are a perfect foil for the aromatics. *
Benares, 12a Berkeley Square House, London W1J, 0207 629 8886. benaresrestaurant.com
**Hakkasan Egg Fried Rice (Tong Chee Hwee, Hakkasan &
HKK)**
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 2 tbsps groundnut oil
- 1 bunch spring onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- Salt
Yes, you've had a million versions of egg-fried rice before but you won't have had anything like chef Tong's before.
Like all serviceable fried rice recipes you should begin with cooked stale jasmine rice and a sturdy wok. Heat the oil in the wok until it starts to smoke and shimmer then pour in half of the eggs (beaten vigorously beforehand) and swirl briefly before adding the rice. Stir the egg-rice mixture for a few minutes, then pour in the rest of the eggs, letting it rest briefly until repeating the swirling process - just till the eggs start to curdle. Finally, add salt and chicken powder, tossing briskly, followed by the spring onion. Serve immediately.
Chef's tip: while chicken powder is an industry staple in Asian cuisine, often found in Asian supermarkets, Tong suggests using chicken stock as a substitute.
Hakkasan, 17 Bruton St, London W1J, 0207 907 1888. hakkasan.com
'The Great British Scramble' (James Knappet, Bubbledogs)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- Smoked salmon
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 3 knobs unsalted butter
- Dollop of double cream
- Flakey sea-salt
- Black pepper
Leave it to a newly-minted Michelin-starred chef to riff on a classic. American-style scrambled eggs typically sit longer in the pan, resulting in pillow-soft wispy curds. But Knappet takes a fresh approach, bringing out the flavours, textures and colours of both whites and yolks. The result? A deeply-flavoured, distinctly British scramble that we simply cannot get enough of. Knappett also emphasizes the use of outdoor free-range eggs: "The deeper yolk colour, the better," he tells GQ.
The secret lies with a cold pan and all the butter. Heat the butter gently until it starts to foam then crack the eggs directly into the pan and leave it to rest for a minute before moving the eggs around with a spatula. At that point, you'll be able to see flecks of orange and white, and after five minutes of intermittent stirring on gentle heat, fold in the cream to stop the cooking. "Eggs turn rubbery as quick as 30 seconds after it leave the pan," he warns. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper and serve with smoked salmon and toast.
*Chef's tip: Knappet is a fan of Maldon Oyster Compnay's thick, hand-sliced smoked salmon. So are we. *
Bubbledogs, 70 Charlotte St, London W1T, 0207 637 7770. bubbledogs.co.uk
