Baked eggs in cream with smoked mackerel & curried leeks
Author: Anna Hedworth
Serves: Makes 4 servings in 15cm cast-iron skillets, or combine in a larger baking tray
Ingredients
- 200g smoked mackerel fillets
- 8 eggs (2 per serving)
- 400ml double cream
- salt and pepper
- soft bread, to serve
- For the curried leeks:
- 3 leeks
- 25g salted butter
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2tsp curry powder
Method
- Nat oils the little skillets, laid out in rows ready for brunch, and then starts to fill them. A layer of buttery curried leeks, then some flakes of oily mackerel, she cracks in two eggs and covers them with a generous layer of cream. Trying to guess how many to make is based on the number of people who have booked, the current weather and all the other factors that contribute to how people behave. ‘I won baked eggs!’ you can declare if you guess correctly. It’s the small wins.
- Our opening menu included these warming delights, and the dish has been there ever since; people come back for it time and time again. Originally, we served it with lightly poached smoked haddock, warmed in a bath of milk and bay. But since we installed our own huge smoker on the terrace a few summers ago, we now smoke our own mackerel when they are in season. I love the gentle smoky flavour and oily flakes of fish combined with cream, curried leeks and soft eggs – it is so comforting.
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/Gas 7. Slice the leeks down the length, trim off the tops and give them a good wash to remove any dirt. Slice into half-moons about 5mm thick. Heat the butter and oil in a pan, add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt and cook over a medium heat until soft, turning golden, and all the water has cooked off. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste and check if more salt is required. The strength of different curry powders can vary wildly too, so adjust if you feel you need more – it should be subtle in flavour.
- Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and gently pull apart into bite-sized flakes, discarding any bones. Oil each individual dish and line the base with a layer of curried leeks, then a layer of mackerel flakes (enough for a piece per mouthful). Break in 2 eggs, pour over a good layer of double cream to almost cover, then add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake for about 8 minutes – the egg yolks should still be soft. Serve with soft bread to mop up all the flavours.
