Pickled Eggs

Maran chicken
Living as we do in a place much favoured by holiday makers we often have too many eggs at this time of year. Come the tourist season we or rather the hens can’t produce enough. So now is the time for me to put down a supply of pickled eggs for those summer salads and pickled fish dishes.

First I make the spiced vinegar. Two pints or just over a litre will cover about a dozen eggs depending on their size. Simmer white wine vinegar with a piece of crushed root ginger and twenty or so black peppercorns. Allow to cool.

Hard boil the eggs. This is the only time when it is easier to shell the eggs if they are a few days old, so difficult to keep the white in tact when the egg is very fresh. Put the peeled eggs in wide necked jars, Kilner jars are ideal. Push a piece of chilli and a strip of lemon zest taken off the lemon with a potato peeler into each jar. I add a couple of garlic cloves too. Then completely cover the eggs with the vinegar and fill the jars to the neck. Put the tops on the jars and screw shut tightly. The eggs will be ready in four or five weeks and will keep unopened for months. Having a warm kitchen, I am doubly careful and store my jars at the back of the fridge.

Comments

[simon faithfull]

hi sally

really enjoyed reading about the wireless deer and strangley enough pamela has been looking for a recipe for pickled eggs. She is becoming weirdly english - infact, i don't even know any english people who regularly have a pint of bitter and a pickled egg...

be great to see you two soon

lots of love

simon