Happy Friday! Your weekend shop just got easier.
When it comes to planning dinner, I really hope this meal plan helps, because I tell ya what, they've helped me! Hahaha, you'd think that after 20 years as a professional chef, I wouldn't have a problem deciding what's for dinner. And don't get me wrong, something always comes out of the kitchen, but having a plan really does make life easier, and I really hope it does for you too! Anyway, let's get into this week, it's a cracker!
This week we start with sweet potato and bean burgers and proper crispy chips, then my not-at-all-authentic carbonara (sorry to any Italians!). Midweek we're off to Thailand for green curry chicken meatballs steamed on coconut rice, then over to Japan for okonomiyaki, a savoury cabbage pancake with bacon cooked right into it. And we finish with a pea and artichoke tart with minted potatoes, a real spring dinner.
What's holding the meatballs together this week? Eggs. What turns a pan of bacon and mushrooms into a silky carbonara? Eggs. The custard in Friday's tart, the batter in the okonomiyaki, the fried one sitting on top of Monday's burger? Eggs, eggs, eggs!
My tips for cooking with eggs
- Warm them up slowly. For carbonara, whisk a little of the hot pasta water into the eggs before they go near the pasta. It warms them gently so you get a silky sauce, not scrambled eggs on spaghetti.
- Look for the wobble. Take a tart or quiche out when the middle still has the smallest wobble. It keeps cooking as it rests, and if you wait until it's firm in the oven, it'll be rubbery by the time you eat it.
- One egg does the job. For meatballs or patties, one egg and a handful of breadcrumbs are plenty to hold 300g of mince together. Any more and they go soft and hard to shape.
- Fry low and slow. For a fried egg with a runny yolk and no crispy brown frill, use a medium to low heat and a little oil, and pop a lid on for the last minute to set the top.
Tip of the week
Shop around, it's often worth it. Most of us have a couple of shops close together, so before you head out, have a quick look online and see if anything on your list is cheaper down the road. Where I shop, there's a discount store a few minutes from the supermarket that often has eggs on special, and I can get 20 to 30 eggs for the same price as a box of 16 at the supermarket. It only takes a few minutes to check, and over a month those little savings really add up.
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