Russian Eggs

Not the kind you get in help-yourself salad bars and cafes - this is the real thing.

Eggs, boiled - not hard, but with a bit of squidge at the centre - anointed with a shimmering, golden emulsion laced with a little garlic. I have to admit, this is probably my most favourite starter, I like to serve it with sliced cornichons or pickled cucumbers, tiny black Provencal olives and anchovies.

You can watch how to make Homemade Mayonnaise in our Cookery School Video, just click the image to play.

This recipe is from Delia's Complete How to Cook.

method
Ingredients

Method

Place the eggs in a pan in cold water.

Bring them up to the boil and boil for 6 minutes, then cool them rapidly under cold, running water and leave them in the cold water for about 2 minutes. Next, remove them from the water, peel off the shells, cover the eggs with clingfilm, and leave them in a cool place until needed.   Now cut the eggs in half, arranging three halves on each plate, top with a heaped tablespoon of the mayonnaise and garnish with the cornichons and olives.

Serve with a couple of anchovies per person draped over the mayonnaise in a criss-cross pattern. Any leftover mayonnaise should be stored in a screw-top jar in the fridge, but for no longer than a week.  