“Eggs are irreplaceable.” Put that on a T-shirt. That’s right! I said it, vegans! Ok, these 3 dishes are actually very simple to make and require little to no ingredients, and they are part of my short film on YouTube titled, “EGGS”. Eggs in a Nest, Hashbrowns with Fry Sauce, and Mushroom Carbonara. Each of these dishes highlights a specific ability of the humble egg. They are so simple that someone working late at night with a depressing fridge could make them, which incidentally is also the plot of the film I made. There’s only ONE TIP that is crucial in this recipe, which is when you grate the potatoes for the hashbrowns, make sure you use the thinnest side of the box grater. The rectangular one that makes really thin ribbons. You can check out which side of my film, “EGGS“, on YouTube. The number of times I’ve plugged it should make you really understand that I’m passively urging you to watch it. So…………….go WATCH IT.
Ingredients
For the Eggs in a Nest:
- One slice of good-quality bread
- One egg
- 1 tbsp of Butter
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 Tsp of Chili oil
- Chopped coriander for garnish
- 2-4 Nos Potatoes (grated with the thin ribbon side of a box grater)
- One Egg
- Dried herbs/or any seasoning you prefer
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Oil for pan frying
- One Egg Yolk
- 150 ml of Olive oil/any neutral oil
- 1 tbsp of Mustard
- 1/2 tsp of Vinegar or lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp of Ketchup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 75 gms of Spaghetti
- 10-12 sliced Mushrooms (Could take more because they shrink while cooking)
- 2 egg yolks & 1 whole egg
- 1/4th Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Procedure
For the Eggs in a Nest:
- Cut a hole in the centre of the slice of bread using a cutter or a lid.
- Add butter to a frying pan and let it melt. Add the bread slice along with the circular bread piece and toast till brown on one side.
- Flip the bread slice and add a touch of butter in the centre.
- Crack an egg carefully without breaking the yolk, and let the white cook fully.
- Flip the bread once again to cook the yolk lightly. Be careful not to break the yolk while flipping.
- Cook for 10 seconds on low and remove from the heat.
- Plate it yolk side up. Garnished with chopped coriander and chilli oil, depending on how much spice you can handle.
For the Hashbrowns w/h Fry Sauce:
- Peel, wash, and grate the potatoes very thinly using the ribbon side of the box grater (rectangle-shaped holes).
- In a muslin cloth or a cotton cloth that is porous, add the potatoes and squeeze them till all the water is removed. At this point, it is ideal to imagine someone whom you hate. Squeeze till they are really dry.
- Add an egg to a bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the potato mixture and season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs/seasoning.
- Mix well and take some of the mixture into your hands. Squeeze off any excess water (yes, it will ooze more water after adding the egg), and form it into patties and set aside.
- In a heated pan with some oil for shallow frying, drop the patties one by one gently. Cook on medium-low heat until one side is browned. Flip it and repeat on the other side as well.
- In a clean bowl, add the egg yolk, vinegar/lemon juice and mustard. Whisk the egg yolk and gently add the oil drop by drop in the beginning, and gently increase your flow speed as you whisk vigorously. (Mayo can split when oil is added too much at once)
- Once all the oil is added, season to taste and add the ketchup and mix well.
- Serve the hashbrowns on a plate with the dipping sauce.
- In a saucepan, boil water with a lot of salt and add the Spaghetti. It will take 7-8 minutes to cook.
- Separate two egg yolks and add one egg to a bowl. Add the parmesan cheese, pepper, and whisk with a fork.
- Slice mushrooms thinly (include the stems as well). In a frying pan, add some oil and saute them until golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the spaghetti once it’s cooked, and add the pasta water as well. Be generous.
- Once the spaghetti is tossed with the mushrooms and the pasta water, turn off the heat.
- Wait for 5 seconds to let it cool slightly, and add the egg mixture and stir quickly to incorporate it.
- Toss the pasta to mix everything evenly. Check for seasoning if it needs any salt. (It might not)
- Serve in a pasta plate/bowl and garnish with more grated parmesan cheese and pepper.