Traditional Challah (Braided Egg Bread)

Ingredients

White flour………………3 cup

Water……………...………1/3 cup (warm)
Yeast…………...………….7 g (2 tea spoons)
Sugar…………………..….3 table spoon
Eggs………………………..4
Poppy seeds………….…2 table spoon
Oil………..…………………1/3 cup
Salt…………………………½ tea spoon

Method

• Mix the warm water and 1 table spoon of sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min.
• Add in the 3 eggs, remaining sugar, salt and ¾ of the oil. Mix well.
• Now add the flour 1 cup at a time and make a soft dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Apply the remaining oil on the dough ball.
• Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a moist cloth.
• Place the bowl in a warm place.
• Once the dough has doubled in size (2 hours), punch it and knead for 1 min.
• Divide it into 5 equal parts.
• Sprinkle some flour on the work place and roll each part into a 1 foot long roll.
• Place the 5 roll side by side and make braid with them.
• Secure the two ends of the braid by tucking it in at the bottom.
• Place the braid on the well-greased baking tray.
• Cover with a cloth and keep it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
• Beat the fourth egg in a bowl and apply the egg on braided bread dough with a baking brush.
• Sprinkle the poppy seeds on the egg coating.
• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 175°C.
• Place the raised braided bread in the pre heated oven and bake for 15-20 min.
• Check if the challah is cooked by tapping the base of the bread. If it sounds hollow challah is ready.
• Cool the challah for about 30 min before serving.

Makes: 1 loaf

Egg and Goats’ Cheese Salad

Ingredients

Wild rocket leaves…..…….70g

Eggs……………….…………….3 (boiled, halved & cut in slices)
Cherry tomatoes……………150g (cut in halves) 
Goats cheese…………………75g (cut in 1cm cubes) 
Fresh ground pepper……..¼ tea spoon
Olive oil………………………..2 table spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Place the rocket leaves in a salad bowl. Top it with cherry tomatoes, eggs and goats cheese.
• Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and ground pepper.
• Mix before serving.

Serves: 2

Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients

Free range eggs………6
English mustered……½ tea spoon
Mayonnaise …………..2 table spoon
Fresh chives…………..2 table spoon (chopped)
Green chilli…………….1 (large, finely chopped)
Onion…..…………….….1 (small, finely chopped)
Water to boil the eggs.
Salt to taste

Method

• Hard boil the eggs with a pinch of salt in the water. Cool those for 20 min and then shell them. Cut them vertically into 2 pieces.
• Carefully remove the egg yolks and collect them in a bowl.  Use a fork to mash the yolks.
• Add in the mustard, mayonnaise, chives, chillies, onion and salt to the bowl and mix well to make a paste.
• Using a tea spoon, scoop a dollop of the mixture and place it in the egg white halves.
• Garnish with chives and serve.  

Lamb Scotch Eggs

Ingredients

Eggs…………………………4

Minced lamb……..……..250g
Onion……………………...½ (finely chopped)
Chilli powder…………....1 tea spoon
Rosemary……………...…½ tea spoon
Ground peppercorns….½ tea spoon
Garlic……………………….1 clove (large, chopped)
Breadcrumbs……….……1 ½ cup
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

• Boil 3 eggs in salted water for 5 min, reduce the heat and let the eggs simmer in the water for 10 min.
• Now discard the hot water and place the eggs in cold/chilled water to artificially cool them.
• One the eggs are cooled peel them and keep aside.
• Mix the mince lamb, chilli powder, rosemary, garlic, ground peppercorn, onion and salt in a bowl. Now divide the mince in 3 equal parts.
• Take one portion of the divided mince and flatter it in your palm. Place one of the boiled eggs on the flattened mince and wrap the entire egg with it.  Make sure there are no gaps in the mice coating. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining eggs.
• Break and whisk the fourth egg in a bowl.
• Now dip the mince coated eggs in the whisked egg and roll it on the breadcrumbs to coat the entire egg ball.  Keep ready to be deep fry.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan. To make sure the oil is hot enough drop few crumbs of bread in the oil, if they start to sizzle immediately the oil is hot enough to fry the eggs. 
• Carefully dip the eggs in the hot oil and fry them for 10 min or until golden brown.
• Serve cold.

Note:

Traditionally scotch eggs are made with sausage meat and light herbs like parsley.  

Do not make the mince layer too thick as it will take a very long time to cook from the inside or might remain uncooked.