Easter weekend is just around the corner, and between catching up with friends and loved ones, these extra (or should we say egg-stra?) few days of leisure are the perfect opportunity to hole up at home and rustle up some comfort food.
Simple, versatile, and delicious, eggs are a brilliant option for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a light supper—something that many of Chelsea’s best chefs know all too well.
Here, head chef Sascha Reib from Colbert shares the recipe for his take on a traditional French ‘country style’ omelette with mixed herbs, while Chris Hill, executive chef at The LaLee within The Cadogan, a Belmond Hotel, shares the secrets to his signature Wye Valley asparagus served with duck egg and rich hollandaise sauce.
Colbert’s Omelette aux Herbes Fines
Serves one
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
Pinch of fine salt
7g unsalted butter
4g tarragon
4g chervil
4g parsley
Method:
-
With a fork or hand whisk, gently whisk 3 eggs without incorporating too much air.
-
Season the mix with salt and pepper and place the eggs in a pan with butter and the array of herbs.
-
In a medium pan, cook the egg mixture on low heat to slowly form soft and fluffy curds. While the mixture is still slightly runny, take the pan off the heat and allow it to set.
-
Plate the omelette in a half-moon shape to serve.
The LaLee’s Wye Valley asparagus, with duck egg and hollandaise sauce
Serves four
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
115ml white wine vinegar
200g melted butter
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 duck eggs
12 Wye Valley asparagus spears
5g salt
100g butter
12 parmesan shavings
Pea shoots, to taste
4 slices sourdough toast
Method:
-
Begin with making the hollandaise sauce. Whisk the egg yolks with 100ml of the vinegar in a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Cook until light and fluffy, stirring constantly. Remove the bowl from the heat and slowly whisk in the melted butter until it emulsifies into a thick sauce. Finish with lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
-
Next, cook the duck eggs. In a deep saucepan, bring two litres of water to the boil then add the remaining white wine vinegar. Crack each egg and carefully drop them into the water one by one. Once all 4 eggs are in the water, reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook the eggs until the whites are opaque and the yolks are runny – around 4 to 5 mins.
-
Meanwhile, remove the fibrous, bottom part of the asparagus spears. Bring 300ml water, salt and a knob of butter to the boil, then add the asparagus, cover, and cook for around 2-3 mins until tender.
-
To assemble, arrange 3 asparagus spears per plate, lay the cooked duck eggs on top, and spoon over the hollandaise sauce. Add 3 parmesan shavings per plate on the top and garnish with pea shoots. Serve with a sliced, toasted sourdough on the side.
