How To Perfect the Poach

Nothing beats a great breakfast and one of my personal favourites has to be classic poach eggs on toast. Super easy and always super tasty. Keep it plain or dress it up with ham and hollandaise. You'll have people amazed with your perfect little bundles with the little trick in step 3.

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Step 1.

Select Great Eggs.

Fresh grain fed chicken eggs produce beautiful deep yellow yolks, however, if like me you don't have the budget for fancy eggs, standard free range are also always tasty. I use Tesco Happy Eggs wherever possible.

Step 2.

Select Your Bread.

If you love crunch, select a brown, nutty grain bread or thick sliced brown, either way grain breads produces a superior crunch whereas white bread produce a much more chewy texture.

Step 3.

Select Your Method.

You can use a poacher for perfect domes, or, like me go for the classic swirl in water method. I love this method as its extremely satisfying to master the perfect little bundle of egg to gently lay on your toast. Use a relatively small pan to contain the egg better.

Top Tip:

Add a splash of white or apple cider vinegar to the water, it really works to keep the whites from running all over the pan while the egg is cooking.

Step 4.

Get Your Swirl On.

with a spoon gently swirl the water until the momentum is going and crack the egg into the centre of the vortex.

Step 5.

Watch as the perfect poach happens before your eyes. It should only take a few seconds to form put your bread into toast just before and by the time the toast pops up your egg should be cooked to perfection. Gently scoop out your little wobbly bundle and lay it gently on the toast, sprinkle with a garnish of dill and enjoy puncturing the oozy beautiful yolk. Delicious!

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CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE BAKE

Super simple and super quick, nutritious and feeds the whole family. Perfect for this time of year with a Christmas spice twist.

Ingredients:

1 Cauliflower head

1 Broccoli head

1 tub of Dairylea cream cheese

Flour

Milk

White pepper

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

100g Leicester chess grated

100g Strong mature cheddar cheese grated

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Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite size florets and place them in a large lasagne Dish.

Dot the cream cheese in various pockets between the florets.

In a jug mix flour and water to a thin liquid consistency enough to almost cover the cauliflower and broccoli florets in the tray.

Add the spices to the sauce and pour over the broccoli and cauliflower.

Cover with tinfoil and bake on 180 degrees Celsius for 30 mins.

Uncover, mix the florets around in the cheese sauce and then smother with grated cheese.

Mix the grated cheese into the florets and cheese sauce mixture slightly then place back in oven and continue to cook for another 30 mins, uncovering for a further 10 mins to give a gold colour to the cheese.

Once the cheese is bubbling and golden serve on its own or as a side to a meal.