Cracking results

THE humble egg has had a tough time over the years. They were still rationed in the early Fifties, said to be linked with heart disease in the Seventies and, in the Eighties, Edwina Currie’s remark about salmonella sent sales plummeting.

But these kitchen staples are bouncing back. Recent research found that today’s eggs contain 70 per cent more vitamin D and double the amount of selenium – a mineral believed to have various health benefits, including helping prevent certain cancers – than those tested 30 years ago.

The changes are thought to be down to improvements in hens' feed and an increase in the ratio of white to yolk in an average egg. Analytical methods have also improved since the 1980s, when the last official analysis was carried out.

Scientists have also concluded that cholesterol in eggs has only a small and clinically insignificant effect on blood cholesterol.

If you need more incentive, British Egg Week begins on October 1, so open a box and get cracking.

Here are a few eggy recipes ideas for you to poach...

Glamorgan sausages with tomato salad

Serves four

175g (6oz) breadcrumbs 

110g (4oz) Caerphilly cheese, grated

1 small, trimmed leek, washed and very finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

½ tsp mustard powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 British Lion eggs, 1 separated

4 tbsp milk (optional)

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil 15g

(½oz) butter

Sliced tomatoes, to serve

Parsley to garnish

Method:

In a large bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, leek, parsley and mustard. Season to taste. Add one whole egg and one egg yolk and mix thoroughly.

If necessary, add enough milk to bind the mixture together. Divide the mixture into eight and shape into sausages about 10cm (4in) long.

On a large plate, beat the remaining egg white with a fork until frothy. Place the sausages on the plate and brush the egg white all over them, until evenly coated. Roll the sausages in the flour.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the sausages for five to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold on a bed of sliced tomatoes and with a sprig of parsley.

Egg and smoked salmon timbales

Seves four

175g (6oz) smoked salmon, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

3 British Lion eggs

150ml (¼ pint) double cream

Melba toast to serve (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Thoroughly butter four 150ml (¼ pint) ramekins and set them on a baking sheet. Put the salmon strips in a bowl, toss with the lemon juice and season with pepper.

Divide between the ramekins.

Beat the eggs with the cream, then carefully pour into the ramekins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and just set. Serve the timbales at once with warm Melba toast, if using.

Japanese omelette

Serves two

1 tbsp light olive oil

½mall red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

110g (4oz) beansprouts

25g (1oz) butter

110g (4oz) cooked king prawns roughly chopped

4 British Lion eggs, seasoned and beaten

2-3 tsp Japanese teriyaki sauce

Method:

Heat the oil in an omelette pan, add the pepper strips and spring onions and stir-fry for two to three minutes, until softened. Add the bean sprouts and heat through for one minute. Remove half of the vegetables from the pan and keep warm.

Add half of the butter and half of the prawns to the pan and heat until butter is sizzling. Pour in half the beaten eggs, stir until starting to set. Continue to cook, lifting omelette edges with a palette knife to allow the uncooked egg to run under.

Sprinkle the omelette with teriyaki sauce, roll it up (with the aid of the palette knife) and turn onto a warmed plate.Sprinkle with a little more teriyaki sauce, if wished, and serve. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread.

• Recipes from Take A Box Of Eggs (Eaglemoss, £9.99)