FRENCH OMELETTE WITH SHELLFISH & GINGER BUTTER
SERVES 2 / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES / COOKING 15 MINUTES
5 free-range eggs, size 7
6 tua tua or large clams
12 pipi or little neck clams 5cm piece ginger, thinly sliced 100ml cream
125g salted butter, chilled, diced 1 spring onion, green part only, sliced
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt until no egg white is visible. Rinse shellfish to remove any external debris and sand. Place ½ cup water into a medium pot and add the sliced ginger. Bring to a simmer, add the shellfish and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes until shellfish begin to pop slightly open, then remove from the pot. Prise the shellfish open enough to slide a teaspoon in and release the flesh. The goal is to keep the meat slightly undercooked.
Strain the cooking liquid and measure 100ml into a pot. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Lower the heat to low and whisk in 100g of diced butter piece by piece until incorporated. Add the shellfish meat to the butter sauce to warm through and set aside.
Heat a 28cm non-stick pan with the remaining chilled butter. Wait for the butter to begin to foam and add the whisked eggs. Lower the heat to low and stir continuously with a spatula until the egg resembles very wet scrambled eggs. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and allow to stand for 2–3 minutes to set on the bottom. Remove the lid and gently release the edges of the egg with a spatula, then give the handle 4–5 short, sharp taps to release the base. Hold the edge of the pan over the centre of a plate and carefully roll the omelette from one edge down to the other and onto the plate. Gently warm the butter sauce, add sliced spring onion and black pepper to taste and spoon over the omelette. Divide it between two plates at the table. Ideal with fresh toast or bagels.
GIVE THESE A GO…
Ramen-style pickled egg Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and carefully submerge 4 eggs. Simmer for 7 minutes, remove from water and run under cold water until cool. Gently remove the shell. Place the eggs into a small heatproof container. Place ¾ cup mirin, ½ cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar into a pot and bring to a simmer. Pour hot pickling liquid over the peeled eggs. Allow to cool and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from liquid and store in a clean container for up to 4 days. Ideal in noodle soups.
Eggs bhurji Finely slice 1 small onion and a capsicum and fry gently with butter until tender. Add a teaspoon each of minced ginger and garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon each of ground cumin, garam masala and chilli powder and stir through. Whisk together four size 7 eggs and add to the pan, stirring regularly to form scrambled eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with some fresh coriander leaves.
Cured egg yolk Mix 1½ cups each rock salt and caster sugar. Pour two-thirds of this into a 20cm x 20cm non-reactive container. Using a teaspoon make 6 shallow depressions in the mix. Place a fresh egg yolk into each depression and gently scatter over the remaining dry mix. Cover tightly and place in the fridge for 5 days. Carefully remove the semi-firm egg yolks and gently wash under cold water to remove salt and sugar. Place yolks on a tray lined with baking paper and dry in the oven at 70℃ for 2 hours until they reach the same firmness as the base of your thumb. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Grate the cured yolks over pasta or salads.