CURRIED EGGS

MAKES 24

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for curried eggs. Mum used to make them as a ‘pre’ for dinner parties. They were a bit of a mainstay, along with ‘devils on horseback’, tinned-asparagus rolls and exotic edible works of art such as whole pineapples with a bunch of cheese-and-cherry-loaded toothpicks anchoring the spread.

Traditional curried egg recipes were pretty standard: egg, curry powder, mayo and maybe a bit of curly parsley for colour. As you’ll see below, I’ve attempted to take them up a notch or two on the culinary ladder.

12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

3 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup (80g) finely diced shallots

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons hot sauce, such as Kaitaia Fire 1 cup (250g) mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

fried red chillies fried curry leaves dukkah a handful of coriander leaves

Take a sharp knife and cut the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthways. Carefully remove the yolks and place in a small bowl. Keep the egg-white halves on a tray in the fridge until required.

Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the oil, along with the shallots, ginger and garlic. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, sweat the mix for 10–15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the spices, stir through and cook out for a couple of minutes before adding the contents of the pan to the cooked egg yolks. Let cool. Add the hot sauce, mayo and lemon juice to the egg yolk and spice mixture. Season to taste. Combine with a fork or wooden spoon until soft and creamy.

Place the curried egg mixture into a piping bag. Take the egg-white halves from the fridge and pipe the curried egg mix into the centres. Place in the fridge to keep cool prior to serving.

You’ll see I have put a bunch of ‘to serve’ garnish options, all of which are optional. It’s up to you. I have used all of these and, other than the extra layers of taste that they bring, it’s actually the textural contrast that really adds to the eating enjoyment.