Eggs Louisienne

At the age of almost 24, I think it's about high time that I had a dish named after me. Not that I'm cocky or anything.

And eggs seem to be just perfect for that purpose, after all, people get egg dishes named after them all the time, don't they? Just think of Benedict, Florentine, or Arnold Bennett. Now it's my turn.

My dish would have to be fancy but simple, healthy but a bit decadent. So: Rocket, mushrooms, lemon, curry, mayonnaise, and an egg. Poached, of course. Only problem: I had never poached an egg in my entire life. But if you want a dish to bear your name you have to take some risks. So I risked my self-esteem and the cleanliness of my kitchen and poached an egg for the first time in my life. And I'm happy to be able to say that it went very well. Even though I haven't really got "round, neat and tidy" thing down. Not yet, anyway. Practice makes perfect.

I poached another egg for supper that day and another one for tea today. The second one was better in texture but not exactly pretty. It looked more like a wobbly ghost. But the third one, oh, it was perfect:

Don't you agree?

I think I'm kind of obsessed with poached eggs now. Much to my flatmate's dismay, she hates eggs...

Eggs Louisienne

Serves 1

1 fresh egg

Half a small onion

4-5 mushrooms

A handful fresh rocket

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

Juice of half a lemon

1 generous pinch of curry powder

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 small or 1 large slice of pumpkin bread

Wash the rocket, peel and chop the mushrooms, dice the onion.

In a small pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until translucent. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt.

Break the egg into a small cup, then bring a pot of water to the boil. When the water is boiling rapidly, stir fast with a wooden spoon until a vortex forms, then pour the egg into the centre of the vortex and, using the spoon, form it into a ball before the egg white sets. Turn down the heat and poach for 1-2 minutes. Unfortunately, I left mine in too long, so even the egg yolk had already set.

Add the rocket to the mushrooms and fry for 2 more minutes, then place your bread on a plate and top it with the veggies and the egg.

Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, curry powder and pepper, and pour the sauce over the eggs.

Put your plate and a cup of Yorkshire on a tray and take it back to bed. Or, even better, stay in bed and have someone else make this delightful breakfast dish for you. And don't forget: Eggs Louisienne. Named after me.