Anglesey Eggs - Ŵyau Ynys Môn

I think it's fair to say that Welsh cuisine does not play a prominent role on the world's culinary stage. However, Wales does now take pride in supplying some fine produce, enjoying international recognition for its beef and lamb, fresh fish and seafood and some unique cheeses. There is an increasing number of chefs in Wales eager to make full use of local foods, made and supplied by artisan food producers and traditional dishes are slowly finding themselves back in the limelight.

This then is my St. David's Day contribution to the Welsh culinary revival. Traditional to Anglesey, this delicious dish of potatoes, leeks, eggs and cheese reflects a time when meat was a scarce luxury, like the other more well-known recipes for Glamorgan sausages and Welsh rarebit. I like to think I haven't strayed too far from how my ancestors would have made it; the leeks and potatoes came from ten miles away, the eggs from a local farm and the cheese... well, the cheese is Caerphilly so it admittedly had a slightly longer journey. 

As I'm sending this to the Shop Local challenge, created and hosted by Elizabeth from Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary, I would like to mention the Llainwen eggs I used in this dish. These beautiful free range eggs have a deep orange yolk that I haven't found anywhere else. The farm, situated in the Vale of Clwyd, has been in the family since 1739 and all their eggs come from a variety of traditional breed hens who happily roam around the fields, truly free-range. Visitors are always welcome on the farm, to see first-hand how the hens are looked after. As you can see from the photos, you get seven, multi-hued eggs in every gorgeous box. 

             

RECIPE - Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course

300g potatoes

3 leeks

oil (olive/sunflower/vegetable)

3 eggs

300ml milk

20g butter

20g plain flour

50g Caerphilly cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water for about 15-20 minutes, until soft. 

In the meantime, prepare the leeks by slicing them in half length ways and then chopping them finely. Put them in a colander and wash thoroughly under running water. Drain well. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan, add the leeks and cook gently until softened, being careful not to colour them as leeks can turn very bitter if they start to brown. 

Hard boil the eggs, drain and remove the shells when they're cool enough to handle.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. 

Drain and mash the potatoes, then mix with the softened leeks and season to taste with salt and black pepper. 

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, then off the heat, slowly add the milk, whisking continuously. When all the milk has been added, bring slowly to the boil and keep whisking over a medium heat until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese. 

Slice the eggs in quarters and arrange in an ovenproof dish (or use individual dishes as I have done in the photo). Spoon the potato and leek mixture around the eggs and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese. 

This can all be prepared in advance and left in the fridge until you want to cook it.

Cook in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. 

Herby trout with potatoes

Before I write about this dish, I feel I have to come clean about its origins. GL devised the recipe and indeed cooked it for the photo above so I cannot claim any credit for it. However, I have a feeling it will become a staple as it worked so beautifully on every level. The fish, protected by the herbs and potatoes stays wonderfully moist, the herby layer gives the fish a fresh lift and the potatoes provide a crunchy texture to contrast with the softness underneath.

This post is making its way over to one of my favourite challenges, Herbs on Saturday, created and hosted by Karen from the wonderful Lavender and Lovage http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/09/herbs-on-saturday-september-challenge-win-a-copy-of-herbs-river-cottage-handbook.html.

    

RECIPE - serves 2

2 trout fillets
a large handful of fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons capers
4 medium sized, waxy potatoes
extra-virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C .

Peel the potatoes and parboil for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly (so you don't burn your hands) before slicing thinly.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the herb mixture. You do this by whizzing the parsley, garlic and capers in a blender with about a tablespoon of olive oil until smooth. Season with a generous quantity of freshly-ground black pepper and add salt to taste.

Drizzle some oil in a roasting dish so that the fish doesn't stick - GL lined it with foil as well. Place the fillets on top, spread with the herb mixture and top with the thinly sliced potatoes. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and place in the oven for about 25 minutes. When done, the fish should be cooked but still moist and the potatoes should be crisp and golden brown.

 

Pitta di patate - Puglian potato pie

GL's mother is from the Salento area of Puglia, right in the heel of the boot that is Italy. It's a place of vivid colours, from the crystal-clear turquoise seas to the verdant green of the pine forests and the rich red fertile soil. It is this soil that gives such an abundance of vegetables and these form the basis of many of the regional specialities. It's considered cucina povera in Italy, peasant food, but I would happily eat it every day. If you're lucky enough to go there, always order the antipasti della casa; one of ours comprised: stuffed baked tomatoes, minted potato croquettes, fava bean purée, swordfish carpaccio, little fritters flavoured with chilli, tomatoes and black olives, squares of artichoke frittata, pitta di patate (recipe below)...there was more, and all of it delicious but I'm getting too hungry to finish the list.

Pitta di patate is basically a mixture of tomatoes, onions, capers, chilli and olives sandwiched between two layers of mashed potato. It doesn't sound particularly appetising described in that way but just try it, you'll see. You can serve this in the traditional Puglian way as part of a bountiful antipasto, good if you've got a lot of people to feed, or I sometimes serve a square of it as a starter by itself. It's also good as a side dish. It can be prepared the day before and cooked when you want it. Not only does this make it easier if you've got people coming to eat, it actually tastes better when it's had a day or two for the flavours to settle. 

RECIPE

1 kg potatoes

4 onions

a handful of capers

200g black olives, roughly chopped

500g passata

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 egg

breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

dried chilli flakes

Peel the potatoes, cut them into even sized pieces and boil until soft. 

While the potatoes are cooking, slice the onions thinly, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions gently until soft. Next, add the olives, capers, a pinch of the chilli flakes and the passata. Mix thoroughly and continue cooking for about 5 mins.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them well and mash them together with the egg and the parmesan. The mixture should be nice and smooth, without any lumps.

In an ovenproof dish, grease with a little oil, then spread half the potatoes on the base. Pour the tomato mixture on top, then cover with the remaining potatoes, making sure that the filling is completely covered. Smooth the surface and sprinkle over a handful or two of breadcrumbs and drizzle over some olive oil.

At this point, you can leave it for a day or two in the fridge if you wish. To cook, place in a hot oven (200°C) for about 30 mins or until the top is golden brown.

In Puglia, this is eaten warm, not hot but I'll leave that decision up to you. It even tastes good cold too.