The Egg Award 2014 - Just Love Food

About Just Love Food


The Egg Award started last year after and idea byJustlovefood blog which was founded by partners Chef / Fashion Designer Claudia Escobar and Environmentalist / Fisherman Cliff Norman, from Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.  They recently opened their first 'Country Style Kitchen' cooking wild produce with love and it was a great pop-up experience.

Ralph had a word with Claudia before last year's Egg Award about their plans - 

Claudia: "Our aim was to cook Scottish produce in a country camping style with the best we could get our hands on,so we dished out wild birds,line caught fish by us,foraged plants and molluscs and were honored to work with local butchers and bread makers in Leith."

They also run a recipe blog, with unique recipes developed by them.  They're now  focusing on private catering, the pop- up kitchen, food festivals and fairs.  As if that wasn't enough they also go foraging, fishing and work on menu design. They're also on the hunt for cool premises to set up a social enterprise kitchen open to the whole community to participate and make great food!

 "We are very focused about community projects where we can add value,give and share what we know with others."

At present I love hands on baking and writing recipes for my recipe blog at Justlovefood Leith on Wordpress.

Lemon Mousse Cake with Meringue Truffles - Jan Steele

This entry for The Egg Award 2014 is by Jan Steele, Wiltshire based artist and boutique truffle maker.


Artistically she works between her studios in Surrey and Wiltshire (By appointment only). She also produces homemade Belgian Chocolates from her own recipes, using natural ingredients and without preservatives, additives or extra sugar whilst catering for any dietary requirements, Including dairy and gluten free. 

You can find her at Wiltshire Farmers Markets in Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Devises, Trowbridge, Warminster and Sailsbury.

Her Lemon Mousse Cake with Meringue Truffles was made using fresh local Wiltshire eggs from Westcroft Free Range Eggs. A family run business, they are a leading independent force in egg packing and distribution in the South West. Due to their many years of experience they are able to ensure they provide a reliable and quality service to all their customers. They specialise in offering a free daily delivery service for all their orders, large or small.

Ingredients:




7 Locally sourced free range eggs - 6 whole and 1 extra white (keep extra yolk for scrambled egg).

330g/10oz Caster Sugar.

Grated rind of 1 Lemon and juice of half a lemon.

TRUFFLEicious Homemade Belgian Choc Truffles.

Method: 

Line a 23 x 30cm Swiss Roll Tin with baking paper, clipping the corners to make a stand up collar.

Pre-heat oven to Gas 4 180c 350F.

Line a 23 x 30cm Swiss Roll Tin with baking paper, clipping the corners to make a stand up collar.

Separate the eggs into 2 different bowls.

Beat the yolks over a pan of simmering water with half the caster sugar and lemon rind until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove from heat. Slowly beat in the lemon juice.

Beat the whites in the separate bowl adding the rest of the sugar a little at a time until stiff.

Carefully fold 2 tbsps of the whites into the yolks to loosen the mixture, gently fold in the rest of the whites.

Quickly and carefully pour mixture into prepared tin lightly level the top with a spatula.

Bake in a pre-heated oven. Gas 4 180c 350F until lightly golden on top and mixture does not wobble.

Leave to cool and cover with a clean tea towel leave to stand until completely cold.

Lightly dust a sheet of baking paper with icing sugar, and invert the cooked cake onto the paper.

Remove tin and peel away the paper, fill with TRUFFLEicious homemade Lemon Meringue Belgian Truffles and flip into a roll from the long sides.

Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh seasonal fruit and extra truffles.






You can enter your favourite recipe using fresh local eggs and help to support your local fresh egg producer by clicking on this link!

The Egg Award 2014 - Prizes

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...





sousvidetools.com    



Prizes this year will include 2 Polyscience Smoking Guns donated by sousvidetools.com who are the UK's leading supplier of sous vide and vacuum packing equipment. They will be presented to the runners up in the Professional Category.

Based in the North West of England they are a family run business that distributes all over the UK, Ireland and Europe to aspirational chefs and foodies who enjoy cooking, who strive for consistency and accuracy whilst always looking to further refine their cooking skills.





At sousvidetools.com their portfolio of products offers everything you would need for sous vide cooking commercially or domestically, from sous vide water baths, thermal circulators, vacuum sealers, vacuum packing machines and vacuum pouches.

All of this makes sousvidetools.com perfectly placed to find a solution to sous vide cooking or vacuum packing requirements. If you’d like to know more about their equipment and services and how they support aspiring talented chefs, please get in touch.












I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives






Great news for chefs entering this year as I.O.Shen Knifes Mastergrade Knives are putting up as a prize for the top Professional Recipe, the choice of any knife in their prestigious range! I.O.Shen Knives have just been voted top choice in Take Stock Magazine and it's no surprise as  after their launch in 2004,they are now established as a firm favourite with chefs and budding amateurs alike.

With some wonderful testimonials and amazing Press and TV coverage – you are sure to find the right knife for the job. We were once hailed in one of the Sunday tabloids for being “The Luke Skywalker light sabre of chef’s knives”.

In 2007, I.O.Shen won the converted Excellence in Housewares Award (equivalent to an industry Oscar!) and we were finalists again in 2011.

The range was voted for by a panel of experts who recognised that the combination of an amazing cutting edge, a uniquely designed handle and astonishing price points could only mean that I.O.Shen was a force to be reckoned with!

Mason Cash





Home Cooks this year will be competing for prizes that include 3 Mason Cash mixing bowls and 3 of their new range of Hen's Nests. Mason Cash have been producing beautiful, functional, iconic kitchenware for over 200 years. 

Famed for classic kitchenware designs such as the Mason Cash mixing bowl and pudding basins, the products and brand have endured the test of time and have become design icons. In fact, some designs have barely altered for over a hundred years.







Mason Cash are committed to upholding their fine tradition of producing the highest quality products that combine functional benefits with beautiful aesthetics, giving each consumer an ever-lasting experience. it is no wonder that Mason Cash is, and always has been the choice of the home cook and baker.

Every item within the Mason Cash range has been specifically designed and developed with the modern day requirements and expectations of consumers in mind.  Whilst many of the Mason Cash items have retained their original English classic design features, a number of products have been developed innovative or contemporary twists incorporating additional functions, colours or patterns to progressing modern interpretations of an original design. 










Armadillo Central 




Another addition to our growing list of prizes is this Fine Art print by Jennifer Copley-May, 'Gull On A Boat'.


The print has been donated by Armadillo Central who publish original writing alongside fine art and photography and will be presented to the top Home Cook.

They are independent publishers of new fiction, poetry and non-fiction, showcasing the best writing alongside original and limited edition art and photography, most of which is exclusive to them.  They ship worldwide.  Prices convert to local currency as you purchase.  



To keep up to date with latest news, special offers, new products and other events join their mailing list.

Jennifer Copley-May's Gull On Boat is one of Armadillo Central's most popular prints and comes in two sizes. Bearing in mind that last year's Egg Awards prize was sent to Spain - to 2 Michelin Star chef Dani Garcia no less - they're keeping it simple and offering the A4 version, easy to post and frame.

This is no ordinary seagull - it was captured in paint in Brighton by Jennifer Copley-May and is reproduced here as a high quality Giclée print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper, professionally printed using archival inks.

Armadillo Central

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...


Armadillo Central 




Another addition to our growing list of prizes is this Fine Art print by Jennifer Copley-May, 'Gull On A Boat'.


The print has been donated by Armadillo Central who publish original writing alongside fine art and photography and will be presented to the top Home Cook.

They are independent publishers of new fiction, poetry and non-fiction, showcasing the best writing alongside original and limited edition art and photography, most of which is exclusive to them.  They ship worldwide.  Prices convert to local currency as you purchase.  



To keep up to date with latest news, special offers, new products and other events join their mailing list.

Jennifer Copley-May's Gull On Boat is one of Armadillo Central's most popular prints and comes in two sizes. Bearing in mind that last year's Egg Awards prize was sent to Spain - to 2 Michelin Star chef Dani Garcia no less - they're keeping it simple and offering the A4 version, easy to post and frame.

This is no ordinary seagull - it was captured in paint in Brighton by Jennifer Copley-May and is reproduced here as a high quality Giclée print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper, professionally printed using archival inks.

Mason Cash

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...


Mason Cash





Home Cooks this year will be competing for prizes that include 3 Mason Cash mixing bowls and 3 of their new range of Hen's Nests. Mason Cash have been producing beautiful, functional, iconic kitchenware for over 200 years. 

Famed for classic kitchenware designs such as the Mason Cash mixing bowl and pudding basins, the products and brand have endured the test of time and have become design icons. In fact, some designs have barely altered for over a hundred years.







Mason Cash are committed to upholding their fine tradition of producing the highest quality products that combine functional benefits with beautiful aesthetics, giving each consumer an ever-lasting experience. it is no wonder that Mason Cash is, and always has been the choice of the home cook and baker.

Every item within the Mason Cash range has been specifically designed and developed with the modern day requirements and expectations of consumers in mind.  Whilst many of the Mason Cash items have retained their original English classic design features, a number of products have been developed innovative or contemporary twists incorporating additional functions, colours or patterns to progressing modern interpretations of an original design. 

I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...

I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives






Great news for chefs entering this year as I.O.Shen Knifes Mastergrade Knives are putting up as a prize for the top Professional Recipe, the choice of any knife in their prestigious range! I.O.Shen Knives have just been voted top choice in Take Stock Magazine and it's no surprise as  after their launch in 2004,they are now established as a firm favourite with chefs and budding amateurs alike.

With some wonderful testimonials and amazing Press and TV coverage – you are sure to find the right knife for the job. We were once hailed in one of the Sunday tabloids for being “The Luke Skywalker light sabre of chef’s knives”.

In 2007, I.O.Shen won the converted Excellence in Housewares Award (equivalent to an industry Oscar!) and we were finalists again in 2011.

The range was voted for by a panel of experts who recognised that the combination of an amazing cutting edge, a uniquely designed handle and astonishing price points could only mean that I.O.Shen was a force to be reckoned with!

sousvidetools.com

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...



sousvidetools.com    



Prizes this year will include 2 Polyscience Smoking Guns donated by sousvidetools.com who are the UK's leading supplier of sous vide and vacuum packing equipment. They will be presented to the runners up in the Professional Category.

Based in the North West of England they are a family run business that distributes all over the UK, Ireland and Europe to aspirational chefs and foodies who enjoy cooking, who strive for consistency and accuracy whilst always looking to further refine their cooking skills.





At sousvidetools.com their portfolio of products offers everything you would need for sous vide cooking commercially or domestically, from sous vide water baths, thermal circulators, vacuum sealers, vacuum packing machines and vacuum pouches.

All of this makes sousvidetools.com perfectly placed to find a solution to sous vide cooking or vacuum packing requirements. If you’d like to know more about their equipment and services and how they support aspiring talented chefs, please get in touch.

The Worlds Biggest Scotch Egg - Part 1

Never let it be said that The Egg Award does anything by halves. So when a Twitter conversation between myself and Egg Award judge and Cumbria's Sella Park Hotel head chef Jon Fell started about promoting the competition, it's no surprise it developed into an attempt by Jon to make The Worlds Biggest Scotch Egg and break the Guinness World Record of just under 7kg.

It was decided that an Ostrich Egg was required (as used by the current World Record holder Lee Turner of Fortnum & Mason) and a massive amount of sausage meat! Jon is being ably assisted in his quest by his fish supplier Ravenglass Fish who are sponsoring the eggs being used for the trials and also Bobby's Bangers who are supplying the sausage meat.

The Guinness World Record breaking Scotch Egg making will be filmed for posterity in September, but in the meantime Jon has trialled his first attempt, which came in at a massive 3.3kg OVER the current World Record! It's a magnificent feat and a tribute to Jon's cooking skills. 



Here's a picture diary of the first trial...

1: Always better to be prepared...
The first two Ostrich Eggs
provided by Ravenglass Fish
 before one being being
boiled for 60 minutes!

2: There's only one way
to crack an Ostrich Egg!

3: Not even All The King's Men
could put Jon Fell's
Ostrich Egg together again!

4: The first layer of 10kg of
sausage meat
provided by Bobby's Bangers

5: Time to add the second layer of
Bobby's Bangers sausage meat!

6: A layer of muslin added
to keep the shape
prior to steaming for three hours!

7: To apply the breadcrumbs,
coat in 24 beaten eggs!

8: Add 2kg of breadcrumbs!

9: Deep fry in 20 litres of oil!

10: You end up with a 10.3kg
World Record beating Scotch Egg!
The little one on top is just for comparison.
A monumental cooking effort by Jon Fell!

The Egg Award 2014 is sponsored by...

Sous Vide Tools

Mason Cash

Armadillo Central

Bobby's Bangers

Ravenglass Fish

I.O.Shen Knives

Bobby's Bangers

The Egg Award judge and Cumbrian chef Jon Fell is attempting to beat the current Guinness World Record for the biggest Scotch Egg. It's quite a feat as the current record egg weighs in at just over 6 kilos! In order to beat the record Jon will need not only Ostrich Eggs but also a substantial amount of sausage meat. 

In order to help him achieve the record the infamous North West of England sausage maker Bobby's Bangers have stepped in as one of the sponsors and will be providing the sausage meat for Jon's World Record beating Scotch Egg.

Bobby's Bangers consider themselves to be the Willy Wonkas of the sausage world...

"Who doesnt like to push boundaries? We certainly do!  We obviously do what people would consider "normal" in sausages, but we also have created sausages that people would certainly consider unusual or just downright strange!"

"We have developed about 40 different flavours up to now and we are still going! All our ingredients are  seasonal and local, within reason, (pineapples don't grow up North!) so the flavours will vary according to the availability of the ingredients."




"Each week we will tell you what the flavours will be, and there is no telling when they will appear again!"

"If you email us at bobbysbangers@gmail.com we will send you a weekly list of the flavour's so you don't miss anything."

The Egg Award is proud to have Bobby's Bangers aboard as part of this years team and if you're thinking about making Scotch Eggs, make sure you use Bobby's bangers!

Bobby's Bangers Toad In The Hole

Ingredients

Serves 4

8 Bobbys Bangers (any flavour) although the madras work very well!

8oz 225g Plain Flour,  4 Eggs,
250ml milk, salt & pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of sunflower Oil or beef dripping

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven 200 degrees C / Gas mark 6
2. Pour oil/dripping in a baking dish and arrange sausages in a single layer and put into pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.
3.  
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together flour, eggs and half the milk until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk until a smooth batter and season to taste.
5. 
   
6. Ladle the batter over the sausages until they are 3/4 covered and return to the oven for 35 minutes, or until centre is brown and risen.
7. Don't worry if there a little soggy underneath that's normal!!
8. Enjoy