Boiled egg and soldiers with a twist

The Recycled Cook

Boiled egg and soldiers with a twist


This is my attempt at taking one of my all time favourite breakfast dishes, boiled egg with toast soldiers and giving it that extra little twist.

 To be honest this recipe is a derivative of a restaurant dish by one of the UK's top chefs, Nathan Outlaw (great name) but he takes it a lot further, using duck eggs and making freshly baked saffron bread, I know my limits.

 This is a dish that could be served as a special breakfast or as a lovely brunch for family and friends.

 Having made this for the first time and realising just how much preparation is involved I would recommend doing some of these stages the night before and keeping the ingredients in the fridge, you will give yourself far less pressure.

 Before you start make sure you have two bowls of prepared ice water ready. Firstly boil your eggs for approximately five to six minutes depending on your preference, You want the white firm but the yolk soft. Immediately put these into the first bow of ice water to stop the coking process. You may need to run these under the cold tap too if the water gets warm.
Blanch the Asparagus in boiling water for one minute and similarly drain and put straight into the second bowl of ice water. 

 If doing this the night before leave the asparagus in the water overnight to keep their vibrant green colour.

 Wrap the Asparagus in thin strips of Pancetta as shown. (This stage can be left out for a vegetarian version). Cut some squares of white or light wholemeal bread, rolling out if necessary to make it thin enough to wrap the Asparagus/Pancetta. Seal the overlap with a little beaten egg or, if making the vegetarian version, you could dip the bread in egg completely but make sure not to get it too wet.
The "soldiers" are now ready for shallow frying or can be put back in the fridge to be used later in the day.

 Next shell the eggs carefully making sure not to split the whites as they will be delicate to handle with the soft yolks. 










Roll the eggs in seasoned flour, beaten egg and Panko breadcrumbs (see Spanish Croquettas) but ordinary white breadcrumbs will do just fine.

 You are now ready to cook your posh egg and soldiers. It is best to cook these at the same time in separate pans as this dish needs to be served immediately.
Gently fry both the crumbed eggs and the Asparagus soldiers over a moderate heat turning frequently until they are golden brown. I used two tablespoons of a light cooking oil but use whatever oil suits your taste.

 Drain well on sheets of kitchen roll, there is nothing more unpleasant than pools of oil on your plate and it will help keep the eggs and soldiers light and crisp. 




Best served immediately with a pot of freshly ground coffee or hot drink of your choice for a delicious breakfast that is a little out of the ordinary but still keeps that comfort food feel of your old favourite egg and soldiers.





Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines.


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