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9
March
Review: A Good Egg by Genevieve Taylor
Genevieve Taylor is an author and food stylist. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two children, her chickens,dogs and cats. She writes a blog, a monthly column for Bristol’s ‘Crumbs’ magazine. She is also the author of Marshmallow Magic, Stew! and Soup!
This book is loosely based on Taylor’s blog and charts a year in her kitchen as she works to find the most imaginative ways to make the best use of her hens’ steady supply of eggs, and at the same time use as many fruit and vegetables from her garden as possible. It is not a recipe book just based around meals involving eggs in the sense you may have been expecting. It’s not just omelettes and custard. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were recipes for ice cream, pasta, cakes and pies in there too.
After a brief introduction from the author, the book is split into four seasons, with a small index by month. As each recipe has a date, it reads like a kitchen diary. One day a Warm Brioche for Breakfast, the next day a Carrot and Cumin Tart.
If you were searching for a specific recipe, it may be hard to find as the recipes are literally in no order that I could discern other than the one the author chose to make them. There is, however, an index at the back by main ingredient. I actually like the chaos, as the variety each month it provides has a nice balance of sweet and savoury
Despite being of a compact size, the book has a reassuringly traditional feel. The photos are small but beautifully shot and composed. Not surprising really, as the author does this for a living. The recipe instructions are fairly easy to follow, and the recipes are of a wide range so anyone should be able to find one they like, regardless of skill.
There are classics like Kedgeree or Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg. My favourite recipes are the Queen of Puddings, Gala Pie, and the Salami, Pesto and Ricotta Frittata.
The sheer variety of recipes is what really sells this book to me. It really does prove that the egg is indeed the most versatile of ingredients, and the author delivers each recipe with a true passion illustrating a natural flair for the ingredient. If I didn’t have regular visits from a couple of urban foxes to my garden, I would dearly love to have some chickens of my own.
The book is available from 14th March from Eden Project Books
Salami, Pesto and Ricotta Frittata
Print recipe
| Serves | 2-4 |
| From book | A Good Egg by Genevieve Taylor |
Ingredients
- 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
Pesto
- Large bunch of fresh Basil
- 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Pine Nuts
- 1 clove Garlic
- 15g Grated Parmesan
- Squeeze lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper
Frittata
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion (finely sliced)
- handful Frozen Peas
- 6 Free-range Eggs (lightly beaten and seasoned)
- 6 Slices Salami
- 6 teaspoons Ricotta
- 6 teaspoons Pesto
Directions
| 1. | Roughly tear up the basil and add to a food processor along with the oil. Process until you have a rough paste. |
| 2. | Dry fry the pine nuts in a small pan until they have toasted a nutty golden brown, then tip into the processor along with the garlic and parmesan and whizz together. |
| 3. | Finally season to taste with a little lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 4. | In a small frying pan, heat the oil and fry the onion over a low heat for 10 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. |
| 5. | Add the garlic and the peas and fry for a further couple of minutes |
| 6. | Pour in the seasoned egg and stir gently until it just begins to thicken and set. |
| 7. | Fold each slice of slami into quarters and tuck gently into and under the surface of the frittata |
| 8. | Then dot over spoonfuls of ricotta and pesto, also pushing it under a little here and there |
| 9. | Allow the frittata to cook gently over a low heat until it is set two-thirds of the way through, then slide the pan under a hot grill for a few minutes to finish cooking the surface |
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