A flash of silver pierces the white orb, spilling its orange centre. The golden yolk, perfectly poached, mixes with the smoked paprika to form a tangerine river. On another plate, two fried eggs sit on a bed of chermoula marinated vegetables. Yellow middles peep out from beneath a veil of sage. Notting Hill’s Eggbreak boasts every variety of egg dish imaginable, from green shakshuka to a heart-stopping French toast and mascarpone. There are few ingredients that can sustain an entire menu, but eggs are special—eggstraordinary, even.
‘Eggs are incredibly versatile,’ points out Eggbreak’s general manager, Hana Bachankova. ‘Whether you’re looking for something light to set you off for the day or something more decadent, such as our burrata and truffle scrambled eggs or egg breaky melt, we’ve got plenty of options. Our eggs come from Fenton Farms in Holcombe Rogus [on the Devon/Somerset border].’
Eggs, however, are more than a foodstuff, having long served as objects of practicality and curiosity.
Artists and makers through the centuries have paid homage to their shape and composition, from the Fabergé Gatchina Palace, which contains a miniature gold replica of the St Petersburg palace in place of the yolk, to Cadbury’s sugary approximation of a chicken’s egg.
Before the invention of oil paints, eggs were mixed with pigment to form tempera, a practice that is periodically revived by enterprising artists, and the shells have been used as a canvas for thousands of years—archaeologists have found decorated ostrich-shell pieces in African tombs.
Denne historien er fra April 22, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 22, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
