June 5

When I have a half-meal (think: a hearty salad, a nice soup, or a simple noodle dish) a soft boiled egg on top usually makes it feel more complete. The egg adds something to really chew on and the yolk provides an amazing sauce-like addition. I always make the egg simply topped with some salt and pepper. But, I was recently watching the new season of Masterchef Australia and saw one of the contestants make a soft boiled egg covered in spices. I instantly wrote the idea down on my to-make list. Why can’t every bite of the egg include a burst of flavour? The possibilities in my mind were endless: crushed nuts, herbs, spices.
Once you start playing around with this, I bet you won’t be able to go back to a simple soft boiled egg. I know that I already have a bunch more flavor combinations that I want to try out but I think I will stick with a combination of crushed nuts and spices. I rolled this one into crushed hazelnuts, sesame seeds, paprika and salt. I tried to add some parsley to the mix as well but it didn’t stick to the egg well (something to keep in mind!). The mixture isn’t too overwhelming but it adds something interesting to an otherwise plain egg. It also adds a bit of texture to the outside of the egg which contrasts beautifully with the oozy, soft yolk. I loved the egg over a crunchy, fresh salad. I am lucky enough that a sprouts vendor at the farmer’s market loves my bagels, so he will always trade some of his sprouts for a couple bagels. This week I got a precious bag of sprouts that acted as the bed for this egg. Along with the crunchy radish and creamy avocado, dressed lightly with some lemon, oil, salt and pepper it was the perfect light lunch. I liked to sprinkle a bit of the extra spice mixture over the salad too.