Chef Wise

With the Great Taste 2016 results just announced, The Traditional Free Range Egg Company, formerly known as Blackacre Farm Eggs, is now celebrating, as all five products in its Free Collection have been awarded stars from the world's most coveted blind-tasted food awards. Better still, with just 141 products achieving a 3-star Great Taste award out of 10,o00 entries in this year's competition, The Traditional Free Range Egg Company is the only egg producer to be featured in this select list, with its Waddling Free duck eggs achieving the highest possible rating. This is the second year in a row that the Waddling Free duck eggs have been awarded a 3-star accolade in Great Taste, with The Traditional Free Range Egg Company's owners, Dan and Briony Wood (pictured above), delighted with the judges' comments, which included; “Incredible rich yolk. Real sweetness and length of flavour” and “The only thing missing is sourdough toast!” After achieving a 1-star G...

Somerset free range egg producer, Blackacre Farm Eggs, has rebranded to become The Traditional Free Range Egg Company, as of Monday 1 August. Owners Dan and Briony Wood have made this change, as they feel that it better represents their commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for small independent family-run farms, using the traditional flat deck production method.  Following widespread public support for its No Multi-Tier Here educational campaign earlier in the year, Dan and Briony believe that the rebrand symbolises their support for those farmers still using methods that can be traced back to the roots of free range egg production. As they continue in their mission to enable consumers to make an informed decision when buying their free range eggs, positive feedback from the campaign suggests that many will opt for those produced using flat deck methods, rather than those from huge multi-tier sheds, meaning that traditional farmers can look forward to a sustainab...

It was a clean sweep for Blackacre Farm Eggs at the Taste of the West Awards this year, with owners Dan and Briony Wood picking up Gold Awards for their entire Free Collection, including their brand new Dabbling Free goose eggs. Judges described the goose eggs as “simply delicious – very mellow with a great depth”, while also commenting on the unique packaging, saying that the “eggs would make a really lovely gift.” The quality of the packaging was commended across Blackacre Farm's entire Free Collection and the judges “really liked the story behind the eggs”, while the appearance of its Rambling Free hen eggs was thought to be “very individual, a lovely mixture of colours, some speckled and some plain, which the judges thought was fantastic.” The Somerset-based producer's Waddling Free duck eggs “certainly had the wow factor”, as the “big yolk from each egg looked stunning”, while its Foraging Free quail eggs were described as “rich and creamy”, with a “grassy flav...

A bit like breakfast and a little like lunch, so just call it brunch, whatever you call it is very nice to eat. You will need A dash of oil 4 rashers of rindless smoked back bacon white wine vinegar 2 free-range very fresh eggs (fridge cold) 8 cherry tomatoes, halved good handful of watercress drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar freshly ground black pepper First get a pan, half fill add a dash of white wine vinegar and bring to the boil, once boiled turn it down to a simmer.  Just wipe a frying pan with a little oil using a pastry brush. Place the pan over a medium to high heat and let it warm. Then add the bacon and cook on one side for about 2 minutes until browned, then turn it over and cook the other side. While the bacon is cooking crack the eggs into the water, one at a time, and poach for about 2and ½ minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan with the bacon and season with plenty of black pepper. Cook the tomatoes for about a minut...

As World Cup fever grips the nation, the Love Free Range Eggs campaign is reminding footballers that eating eggs every day can form the basis of a nutritious, sporty diet.  Eggs are a great source of protein for any diet and also provide minerals and vitamins A, D and B2. Independent sports nutritionist and footballer Jess Wain said: “Lean sources of protein are a key part of footballers’ diets and eggs are always on my list of recommendations. “I suggest many different cooking methods to my clients including poaching, boiling, scrambling and making omelettes. Eggs are great to have as part of your diet as they’re so versatile and I tell the sportsmen and women that I coach that between one and three eggs a day is good for them. “The body converts the yolk into energy which is burned during exercise while the white is the main source of protein which builds and repairs muscles.” Hundreds of free recipe ideas for sports stars to follow are hosted on www.l...

New research* shows time-strapped home cooks are more likely to cook a quick meal from scratch than pop a ready meal in the microwave, so it's cracking news that two rising culinary stars are launching a new recipe collection of egg-based main meals in minutes. The series of ten meals - all 15 minutes or less - come courtesy of Celebrity MasterChef winner Liz McClarnon and former head chef of Claridge's, Mark Sargeant, and comprise delicious omelettes, tortillas and frittatas with a twist.  The speedy dishes will feature on a new website - eggrecipes.co.uk/mainmealsinminutes - alongside a series of step-by-step videos presented by Mark and Liz. The celebs give their best omelette-making tips and show just how easy it is to rustle up meals in minutes using eggs.  Mark's recipes range from a Chorizo tortilla using potato crisps to a flavour-packed Smoked salmon and pea frittata, while Liz has created a family-friendly Pizza omelette and a carb-free 'Forg...

For some reason I only see crème caramel in Chinese restaurants these days, I do not know why. It seems to be not of those deserts that has fallen from grace and is just not done any more. Fallen fowl of the cool more sociably excitable dessert, that parade in the more salubrious restaurants.  Well I’m still thinking of you even if no one else is. To make a Crème Caramel you will need 160g/6oz sugar A little unsalted butter 4 eggs 1tsp vanilla extract 25g/1oz caster sugar 600ml/1 pint full-fat milk All depending on your ramekins this will make about 6 caramels altogether. You need to start by making your caramel, now when working with sugar be careful it really burns and you do not want that. Take the 160g/6oz of caster sugar and add that to a pan with about 5 or 6 tablespoons of water. On a low heat dissolve the sugar until all the granules have gone then bring to a boil until the sugar turns a dark caramel colour. Then take it off the heat immediate...

Like all Italian dishes this is a simple and yet vey tasty dish to make, and you only need four things to make it. A perfect one to make and it really is easy to do I know I say that a lot but this one really is. It is a nougat ice cream that you do not need a machine for just a couple of bowls, some kind of mould and you are done.  And a electric whisk as well , or it is very hard work. You will need 250g/9oz mascarpone cheese 3 eggs 2tbsp caster sugar 100g/3½oz crunchy nougat Fist take your mould, I use a thin loaf tin or something like that. Now take some Clingfilm and lay it on a clean surface then rub it with a tea towel to take out the static, then lay another piece of cling film over it and do the same. Now oil slightly the sides of you loaf tin and then place the cling film in to the tin. Use the tea towel to press it in to the corners and then set it to one side. Take your nougat and chop it by hand and then separate your eggs, whites in one bowl and...

I do not know why but there is something so satisfying about an egg custard. Just cream and egg set in a dish that you eat and the king of them must be the Crème brûlée. If done properly, topped with a crisp crust of caramelised sugar that you have to break through with your spoon. That satisfying crunch before you get to the rich cream custard underneath. As you can image I quite like them. You will need 450ml/16floz double cream 50ml/2floz whole milk 1 vanilla pod 5 egg yolks 75g/2½oz caster sugar 40g/1½oz caster sugar or more, for the topping Now the classic way to make this dish I have always been told is to use a shallow dish, not a deep sided ramekin. Now this is not always possible but do the best you can. Also it makes it very difficult to place the dish in a bain-marie when you place them in the oven. First separate your egg and get the egg yolks in a bowl then add the 75g/2½oz of caster sugar to the yolks. Now in a pan add the double cream and m...

I love crab and I love leeks so this is a perfect combination, set in a rich egg custard. Also good for picnics and eating out side. So while we are actually having bit of a summer then make this and go out for the day. Now for this recipe I use both white and brown crabmeat as I think that gives the best flavour.    You will need 225g/8oz short crust pastry 100g/4oz leeks 15g/½oz unsalted butter 25ml/1fl oz white wine The juice form half a lemon Salt A pinch of cayenne pepper 4 eggs 120ml/4floz full fat milk 120ml/4fl oz double cream 88g/3oz white crabmeat 88g/3oz brown crabmeat   So start by rolling out your short crust pastry, prick the pastry, cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Then in a preheat set at 190c/375f and bake for 10 minutes the remove the beans and paper then pop back in the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes to finishing cooking the pastry and leave to cool.   Now take your leeks an...

Now I saw them being made on the television the other day and it reminded me that is was such a long time since I had had one that I had to make some. Scotch eggs are something that you can buy quite cheaply but you never know if you have a god one or not until you bite into it. That is normally when you are filed with disappointment and ask yourself why did you buy that for. And that is why I have not had a scotch egg in such a long time.   So here is my recipe for a good, I would not say perfect scotch egg. You will need 340g/12oz sausage meat Salt, ground white pepper, nutmeg and ground black to taste 4 eggs Plain flour 1 baton egg 5 or 6 good serving spoons of white bread crumbs Now if you are like e you do not want you egg completely hard boiled before you make your scotch egg.   Like to have the yolk in the centre still under cooked.   So I bring my water to the boil and then gently lower my eggs in and cooked them on a simmer for about 7...

Now I always thought that eggs benedict was named after Benedict Arnold, who in the American Revolutionary War fought on the side of the Americans, but later defected to the British Army.   But that did not make much sense to name a dish after him, not really. So I looked it up and it would seem that either it a wealthy man Lemuel Benedict suffering from a hangover ordered “some buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise sauce” at the   Waldorf Hotel in New York. Or that a Mr and Mrs LeGrand Benedict who were patrons of Delmonico’s Restaurant inspired the dish. But it had nothing to do with Benedict Arnold. You will need 3tbsp white wine vinegar 3tbsp white wine 2 peppercorns 1 dried bay leaf 2 eggs, yolks only 125g/4oz butter lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste 6 large, very fresh eggs 12 slices smoked streaky bacon, grilled until crisp 3 English muffins a little butter start by making your hollandai...

Despite the fact that you have you make a meringue this is the desert to have right now. Evan if you get your meringue from the shops make this and use just picked strawberries from the field and you will have a dessert that will be chewy, sweet and full of summer flavour.   You will need 6 free-range egg whites 300g/10½oz caster sugar 1 tsp wine vinegar 250ml/9floz whipping cream A dash of vanilla 75g/2½oz sifted icing sugar 450g/1lb strawberries 100ml/3½fl oz water 100g/3½oz caster sugar 250g/9oz strawberries First get your oven hot and preheat it to 180c/360f. Then in a bowl whisk the egg whites until you have stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Now add the sugar, just one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, until all the sugar is combined. Now for this part you might feel that you need three hands as the bowl always seems to go round and round so put it on a damp cloth. Then fold in the vinegar. Now put the meringue mixt...

Now despite what you might have heard and what people will say to you I think that it is a bit of a myth that a soufflé is hard to make.  I think like most things in life it is a matter of knowing what to do and in what order.  As long as you egg whites are whisked and you have cooked you basic sauce then it is pretty mush as easy as making a cake. The only thing I would say is use a electric whisk.  Buy the time you have whisked your egg whites by hand you will find your sauce is to cold and hard to mix. You will need.  30g/1oz butter, 30g/1oz plain flour  150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk 1 tsp  Dijon mustard Pinch cayenne pepper 4 whites 4 yolks 85g/3oz grated mature cheddar cheese Salt and pepper A little melted butter for greasing the soufflé dish Star by getting things ready for you soufflé.  First melt some butter and brush it round the ramekin or dish you intend to make the soufflé in.  Th...

First things first in the words of Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy “DON’T PANIC”.  Now that sounds so easy to sat but it is in fact very easy to make and you can make it in a bowl or in a machine the choice is yours.  Also if you can master this you then can make variations on the theme such a béarnaise sauce or pink pepper corn. So don’t be scared give it a go. Your will need for the basic sauce 3 tbsp white wine 3 tbsp white wine vinegar 3 or 4  peppercorns 1 dried bay leaf 2 eggs, yolks only 125g/4oz butter Lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste Now to start with you need two pans and a bowl , a good whisk and a wet dish cloth. Now you place your bowl on the wet dishcloth and this stops the bowl from moving all around as you whisk what is in it while pouring the hot butter with the other hand. Now in one pan put your butter and gently melt the butter slowly.  What you want is for the butter to ...

I first saw this on master chef I think and took the idea and I must say it works very well.  Like most thing in life that look complicated actually are not all you have to do is stop think and then do, and it normally works out. Mind you that is probably easy for me to say  I have been cooking professionally for about twenty years or more and as my daughter always is saying when we are watching a cookery program I some times get annoyed with things saying , I would not do it like that.  The truth is that you can watch a million shows and read a thousand books, but nothing can beat experience.  So you will say why are you pinching a recipes from a cookery show then,  well than answer to that is simple , its really good. My whole career is spent on taking ideas from here and there and doing them in a way that I think works.  So here we go with this one. You will need, 125g/4½oz caster sugar 8 egg yolks 125ml/4½fl oz single cream 125ml/4½fl...

It is looked down on now as not being the right thing to make with raw eggs and all that fat so risky and unhealthy. However, real mayonnaise is one of the nicest things that you can make as a dip. It literally just takes a few seconds and is in now way difficult. So if you like to live with danger and are prepared to take the risk them this is how you make it. For the mayo 2 egg yolks 2 garlic cloves 1-2 tbsp lemon juice Salt and c fresh ground black pepper 125ml/4fl oz olive oil 125ml/4fl oz vegetable oil Take your garlic with some salt and crush the garlic together in to a nice paste then add the lemon juice and black pepper. Now you can do one of two thing now. Add the egg yolks to the garlic of in another bowl keep them separate. Now if I am making it I always add the garlic latter , I do not know why and I just do. So in a separate bowl place it in a damp cloth to hold it still and add your egg yolks. Start to whisk your egg yolks then slowly a little at a t...

Now this sounds to be a very easy thing to do and I think it is. However, in the world of cooking the actual thins that is simple are often the most talked about and fought over. Therefore, to avoid getting every one up in arms and saying you do not do it like that, you do it like this I will simply just tell you what I do and that will be that. For one person you will need Three eggs. Some butter A little cream or milk Black pepper, preferably freshly ground black pepper and salt. Take your eggs and crack them in to some kind of blow or container. Now all you have to do is just beat the eggs a little. You do not want a frothy mass of egg all you want is the yolks to be incorporated in to the whites. Nothing more than this is necessary for just a simple scrabble egg. Now this next stage is only for the occasions that you are doing some thing like scrabble eggs with a starter. Say if you was doing scrabble eggs will fresh dill and smoked salmon on a slice of toasted b...