Recipe for Blinding Pickled Eggs

Yet another festive feel good cupboard filler that graces most homes up and down the country this time of year is the love it/hate it pickled egg.

I find them really enjoyable with the cold spread left over Christmas buffet, just as well as simply dropped in a bag of crisps. (I know, strange custom, but it always conjures up memories of childhood evenings in the Village club, whilst drinking fizzy Vimto and listening to Andy Ford singing and telling jokes).

The problem, as usual, these days is that there a lot of poor quality eggs out there due to not enough flavour going into the Vinegar. 

This recipe of mine changes that. The method is quick and simple where the only tedious part comes from having to wait for the little oval gems to steep adequately enough.

My Father-in-Law makes masses each year and prefers them to be shelved for at least 3 months. However, I feel that they are good to nosh from as little as two weeks after bottling.

Read on, join in and get pickling!

Latest Addition to the tray of loveliness....Pickled Eggs.

Ingredients

• 48 fresh Free range Eggs, medium. (I tend to collect mine from a couple of local farmers where I know the eggs could not get any fresher, and that the Chickens really are Free Range)
• 1 litre Malt Vinegar
• 500ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 1.5 litres White wine Vinegar
• 8 Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 Dessertspoon Dried Pink Peppercorns
• 1 Teaspoon toasted and crushed Black Mustard Seeds
• 12 Dried Dates, Blitzed or finely chopped
• 10 sprigs of fresh Thyme
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 1 Garlic Clove, cut across the horizontal
• 2 Pinches Seasalt flakes
• 1 Pinch Cracked Black Pepper
• Juice of ½ Lemon
• 1 ½ dessertspoons Truffled Honey (or good quality plain Honey)
• 2 dessertspoons Muscavado Sugar
• 3 Sage Leaves
• 2 Dessertspoons Tomato Puree

Method:

• Add all the ingredients (except the Eggs) into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, Stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool right down.
• Bring a pan of Water to the boil and place the eggs in (in batches if need be). Boil for 10 minutes if Eggs are stored at room temperature, or 12 minutes if stored in the fridge.
• Empty water, flush eggs with cold water for 8-10 minutes to stop the cooking process.
• Peel and place in fridge covered until needed.
• In clean and dry Jars, add your eggs. Make sure there is room in the jar to allow the Eggs to move around.
• Strain the pickling vinegar through a sieve and retain the seeds, onion etc.
• Pour the Vinegar over the Eggs, ensuring they are fully covered. Add a touch more Malt Vinegar if required.
• Share out the Seeds etc, in amongst the Jars.
• Seal with a tight fitting lid and gently shake to disperse the seeds etc. Add a  Label with the Date they were made and store in a cool (not cold) place, ideally a cupboard.
• Two weeks later, pop open and enjoy (with your banquette spread, or your packet of Crisps...).

Masterchef UK: mainstream television

So it has begun..........

Masterchef UK started tonight at the new time and new channel, proving not just how popular the program is, but also how much people enjoy watching the blood sweat and tears behind creating passionate food.

Boasting a swanky new set, both Gregg Wallace and John Torode launched themselves straight into the frying pan of uncertainty, as the doors opened for eager foodies to cook to impress and secure themselves a place in the top twenty.

The dishes served up were an eclectic mix ranging from inspired to tired.

There seemed to be some that had practiced and had become reasonably well versed in their showpiece which received fair praise, and deservedly so. Then there were those that made me wonder if firstly they had even attempted the dish before, and secondly, if the individuals had ever watched Masterchef before to gain understanding as to the level of cooking expected.

We saw the usual suspects lined up: People looking for career changes, people with mid life crisis's, those who have been told by Friends and lovers they are amazing at cooking. The obligatory I want to quit my job and open my own Gastro Pub (grrrrr), The over thinkers, under-achievers and the raw edged souls who yearn for guidance to become the next best thing in the Industry.

After 45 minutes of preparation time, the hopefuls load up their trolleys one at a time and dispatch themselves into the room beyond with a single kitchen area to finish their offerings in front of the two formidable hosts.

This gave Gregg and John ten minutes to grill, quiz and de-construct the individual, before they pass their judgement on the presentation, textures and flavors set before them. 

Dreams were fulfilled for some, for others they were dashed, whilst a small handful were granted the opportunity to retry by returning the following day. At the end we were left with 11 hopefuls through to the first stage of this prestigious televised Food journey.

For me, Masterchef has not really started yet, and won't until the chosen ones start cooking in that big Kitchen, competing against each other to be recognized for their raw abilities, secret talent. These first two days almost feel like they are purely a demographic pleaser, an amuse bouche, keeping en vogue with currently big audience grabbers and smacking of Xfactor/Britain's Got Talent. Gregg and John look relaxed and comfortable in their surroundings, and unnaturally quiet with regards to their usually animated verbal-isms, almost like they too cannot wait to get stuck in to the Starter courses that are the first rounds.

The show does already promise to be as emotionally exciting as always, with each of us finding our wannabe to champion (although my favorite tonight was axed during the life-line cook off, so need to rethink). And most of this is down to the personalities of the keepers of the Aprons. 

These guys are all about food. 

They have passion, knowledge, a nurturing quality and above all else, an infectious attitude to the fact that the proof is in the eating. Hell! I get excited watching them get mesmerized by some of the food they eat, the smiles and noises of ecstasy when someone hits the notes spot on and plays the tune they know so well.

I would love to meet those guys and share a whole day of eating and talking Food. Or even a whole weekend........Or a whole week. 

......Or once every 3rd weekend for a year.

One of my top  qualities as a Chef is that I am always talking about ingredients, dishes and all things food orientated with friends, family, colleagues and often clients who ask questions like I am a walking Food bible. 

One of my bad qualities as a Chef is that I am always talking about ingredients, dishes and all things food orientated with friends, family, colleagues and often clients who ask questions like I am a walking Food bible.

And that is what this show represents. Passion for what we do and for what we eat. Britain has a relationship with food that is ever growing stronger, putting it well and truly on the map as one of the top, if not the best, Countries for all things Culinary. Thanks to the Chefs, the Producers, Foodies, and the likes of Masterchef UK for making food more than just a means to live.

Don't just Eat to Live. Live to Eat!