Egg custard tarts

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry
165g/5¾oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g/1oz ground almonds
120g/4¼oz chilled unsalted butter, cubed
55g/2oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg

For the custard filling
700ml/1¼ pint full-fat milk
7 free-range egg yolks
90g/3¼oz caster sugar
freshly ground nutmeg

Method

• To make the pastry, stir the flour and ground almonds together in a large bowl, then add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
• Break in the egg and work it into the mixture with your fingers, bringing it together to form a soft dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Flatten with your fingers to a disc and wrap in cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Roll out the sweet pastry on a lightly floured work surface.
• Using an 11cm/4½in fluted cutter, cut out twelve discs and line the muffin tray moulds with the pastry circle. The pastry should overlap the top of the moulds by a few millimetres, so that you can crimp the edges if you wish.
• For the custard filling, warm the milk in a saucepan, and beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl until pale and creamy.
• Pour the milk onto the egg yolk mixture and stir well, creating little bubbles.
• Transfer the custard mixture into a pouring jug with a lip, then fill each of the tart cases.
• Sprinkle a small pinch of ground nutmeg into the middle of each tart.
• Bake the tarts in the oven for about 25 minutes - you may need to turn the temperature down to 180C/350F/Gas 4 for the final 10 minutes. You are looking for a very slight dome on the custard, indicating that it is baked. If the custard domes too much this indicates that you have over-cooked the custard, it will have boiled, and will sink back down leaving a big dip. If this does happen you can help rescue it by removing the tarts from the oven immediately and placing the tin in cold water on a cold surface.
• Cool in the tin for 30 minutes and then carefully remove from the moulds. The base of the tarts should be perfectly baked through, without having over-cooked the custard filling.

Recipe Tips
These tarts are best eaten on the day they're made, as the pastry will soften over time.

Pancetta-baked eggs with a minted pea and feta salad

Ingredients

For the baked pancetta eggs

sunflower oil, for greasing
12 slices pancetta
3 free-range eggs
125ml/4½fl oz double cream
20g/¾oz freshly grated parmesan
small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pea and mint salad

240g/8½oz frozen peas
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp olive oil
50g/1¾oz baby spinach leaves
100g/3½oz feta, crumbled
lavosh bread (flatbreads), to serve

Method

• For the baked pancetta eggs, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4 and grease 4 holes of a12-hole muffin tray.
• Line each muffin hole with 3 slices of pancetta.
• Whisk the eggs, cream, parmesan and basil leaves together in a bowl until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Divide the mixture among the muffin holes and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are just set.
• Meanwhile, for the pea and mint salad, pour boiling water over the frozen peas and set aside to stand for 2 minutes. Drain, then refresh in cold water.
• Mix the peas, mint, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl until well combined.
• To serve, divide the spinach among each of 4 serving plates and spoon some pea and mint salad on top. Sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Serve the baked eggs alongside with the lavosh bread.

Ranch-Style Eggs with Chorizo

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, puréed until smooth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably ancho
2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo purée
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice plus 2 teaspoons finely grated zest, divided
4 (6-inch) yellow or white corn tortillas
2 links fresh chorizo (about 4 ounces), removed from casing
4 large eggs
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Chopped cilantro and Cheddar cheese for serving, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. In medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (5–7 minutes). Add garlic and cook, stirring (1 minute). Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add tomato, water, chili powder, chipotle, honey, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened (20–30 minutes). Stir in lime juice.

3. While sauce simmers, arrange tortillas on a baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with 2 teaspoons oil. Bake, turning once, until crisp and slightly golden (5–7 minutes).

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring to break apart, until golden brown (about 8 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels (reserve rendered fat in the skillet). Lower heat to medium and crack eggs into skillet. Cook until the whites are completely firm but the yolks are still soft (about 2 minutes).

5. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and lime zest.

6. To serve, spoon about 1/4 cup red chile sauce on each of 4 plates. Place a crisp tortilla on top of the sauce. Divide eggs, remaining sauce, lime sour cream, and chorizo among plates. Before serving, sprinkle with cilantro, cheese, and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Curried Egg Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 teaspoon plain 2-percent-fat Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
¼ teaspoon sherry vinegar, or to taste
⅓ teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
 Kosher salt

PREPARATION

• In a mixing bowl, combine one of the eggs with the whites of the three remaining eggs. (Discard the three yolks or reserve for another use.)
• Using a fork, chop or lightly mash the eggs. Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sriracha, vinegar and curry powder. Season with a pinch of kosher salt.
• Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed. If desired, spread egg salad on any healthful fiber cracker with single-digit carbohydrates per serving (in grams), and top with sliced cucumber.

Egg Batter Pan-Fried Flounder With Green Garlic

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds boneless flounder or sole fillets, preferably 4 6-ounce pieces
 Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup all-purpose flour for dredging
 Mild olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup finely chopped green garlic, both white part and tender green stalks
 Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
 Lemon wedges

PREPARATION

• Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Make the egg batter by whisking together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl, along with a pinch of salt.
• Put the flour on a plate. Coat each fillet lightly on both sides, then submerge the fish in the egg batter. (This can be done up to 30 minutes ahead.)
• Pour about 1/4 inch oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil looks wavy, lift the fish from the egg batter one piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip off. (Discard remaining batter.) Carefully lay each fillet in the pan and let fry gently until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and blot briefly on paper towels, then transfer to a warmed serving platter.
• Pour off any remaining oil and return the pan to the heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the green garlic, and a little salt and pepper. Let cook without browning for about 1 minute, then add the lemon juice.
• Spoon the green garlic butter over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Egg Casserole

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter, plus extra for buttering pan
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, lightly packed
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
 Pinch cayenne
18 hard boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound bacon, cooked, drained of fat and crumbled
 Toast, for serving

PREPARATION

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it foams. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Lower the heat and slowly pour in the cream and milk. Heat until steaming, whisking often. Add the cheese and whisk until melted. Add the parsley, marjoram, thyme, garlic powder and cayenne
• In the prepared dish, make layers of egg slices, bacon and sauce, ending with sauce. Cover and bake 40 minutes. (To make ahead, refrigerate covered casserole overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking, and add 20 minutes to baking time.) Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving with hot toast.

Classic Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
3tablespoons mayonnaise
2tablespoons plain yogurt
2teaspoons Dijon mustard
lemon juice
salt
paprika

METHOD

• Make hard-boiled eggs.
• Cut 6 eggs in half, lengthwise.
• Remove the yolks and blend them by hand with mayonnaise, plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, a squirt of lemon juice, and salt to taste.
• Spoon the mixture back into the whites. Dust with paprika.

How to make the perfect deviled eggs in 9 easy steps

1. Bigger is better: Park and Fisher advise choosing large or extra large eggs so you have plenty of yolk to make your filling.
2. Better with age: When shopping for eggs, find a package with the closest sell-by date possible, advises Park. Older eggs are much easier to peel, while with fresh ones, "you end up pulverizing the whites," she says.
3. Get ahead of the game: Boiled eggs will last in the fridge (stored in their shells) for up to five days, so feel free to get that step out of the way a few days before deviling.
4. Counter intelligence: On the day you're planning to boil the eggs, let them sit at room temperature for a few hours before cooking. This helps them cook evenly, explains Park. If you forget (which Park says she usually does), you can cheat it by placing the eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for five to seven minutes before boiling.
5. Easy peeling: After you've boiled the eggs, chill them in an ice bath, then roll them on a hard surface to lightly crack the shell all over to facilitate peeling.
6. Customize! There are countless variations on "classic" deviled eggs (Park and Fisher's calls for mild white wine vinegar rather than distilled, plus a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the mustard and vinegar), so feel free to play with whatever recipe you use make it your own. Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce, for example, or mix in herbs such as tarragon or chives. "You can make deviled eggs out of anything," so use your imagination, says Park. Variations in The Perfect Egg include pesto (simply add a little pesto to the classic mixture) and Buffalo (with wing favorite Frank's Red Hot Sauce and blue cheese).
7. Filling finesse: While Park and Fisher encourage experimentation, they caution to start with small amounts of seasonings, especially wet or strongly flavored ingredients. If you do go overboard and your filling ends up too liquidy, boil up any extra eggs you have on hand and use the yolk to thicken the mixture. No extra eggs? Pinch a couple of your cooked whites, finely mince them, and add them to the mix. Alternately, if the mixture is too thick, you can loosen it with a little lemon juice or by adding warm water a teaspoon at a time.
8. Piping perfection: While you can simply use a spoon to scoop the filling into the whites, a piping bag or a plastic zip-top bag with the corner snipped off makes for an easier, neater filling job. (Hint: If you're transporting the eggs, you can store the filling in the bag until you reach your destination, then snip the corner when you're ready to fill.)
9. Garnish: Once you've filled your eggs, jazz them up with a garnish. A sprinkle of paprika is classic, but Park and Fisher like to match the garnish to the filling—a dusting of chili powder if your filling has hot sauce in it, for example.

CHICKEN SHAHJAHANE

Ingredients
Chicken 1 kg
Onions 250 gm
Ginger 10 gm
Garlic 10 gm
Tomatoes 200 gm
Coriander ½ bunch
Khas-Khas 20 gm
Cream 100 ml
Salt to taste
Gr. Chillies 1
Cashew nuts 50 gm
Chilly Pow 5 gm
Dhania Pow 5 gm
Haldi Pow 5 gm
Oil 50 ml

Method :
· Clean, cut chicken and apply salt.
· Grind onion, garlic, ginger, green chills.
· Chop coriander and tomatoes.
· Boil and grind khus-khus to a paste.
· Grind cashew nuts to a paste.
· Heat fat, fry ground Masala and add chilli powder, haldi powder, coriander
powder, continue frying.
· Add khas-khas, chopped tomatoes.
· Add chicken pieces and sufficient water to cook.
· When chicken is cooked add cashew nuts and coriander leaves.