Last week I introduced you to Mike Russell and his new book Baker Blue and I received an email in response.
Now, it’s a rare thing indeed that I receive email these days. The old days of blogging with it’s multiple comments and emails have long gone. These days, the only emails I receive begin with “Do you accept guest posts on your site?” and, recently, “I can make you Mumlyfe rich like me”.
I digress. On Friday last week I received an email from a reader who made Mike’s health crackers recipe and declared it “life changing”. Yes, life changing.
Mike does look like someone who could change a life, doesn’t he?
As you will appreciate, such declarations are not to be taken lightly. Sarah (the reader who will apparently never be same again after making Mike’s crackers) also said they were “the only seed cracker I have ever made that (a) stuck together and (b) did not taste like cardboard”.
Well, that’s life changing enough for me, Sarah. And, hey, I enjoyed them too and they did stay together and they are indeed very tasty.
Naturally, I was instantly prompted to share a second Mike recipe with you. I’m doing so sooner than expected so I have to confess that I have not made these curried egg sandwiches before sharing them. This is something I never, ever do. Oh Sarah, what have you done to me?
But, I am emboldened by a few factors. One, the health crackers were so good, how can Mike go wrong with a curried egg sandwich? Two, the curried egg sandwich recipe in question is actually Neil Perry’s and he is a god. And three, I’ve never in my life eaten a curried egg sandwich I didn’t love…
So take it away, Mike!
Neil Perry’s curried egg sandwich
‘It’s pretty hard to beat the combination of eggs, mayonnaise and rye bread. I love these curried egg sandwiches at any time of day, but if you wish to make them for breakfast and would like something less full-flavoured in the morning, leave the curry powder out.’
Makes 4 sandwiches
Takes about 20 minutes
- 10 eggs
- 8 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Keen’s curry powder
- 8 slices very fresh rye-caraway loaf (hint: there’s a very good recipe in Baker Bleu!) or another bread of your choosing
- Softened butter, as desired
- Iceberg or baby cos lettuce, as desired, shredded finely
To boil the eggs, place them in salted boiling water for 8 minutes, then remove and run under cold water to cool. Crack the eggshells well and leave the eggs to soak in a bowl of water for 10 minutes before peeling; this makes them easier to peel. It’s also easiest to start peeling from the bottom of the egg.
Add the peeled eggs, mayonnaise and curry powder to a bowl and mash together with a fork until evenly mixed but still slightly chunky. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Lay the slices of bread on a chopping board and butter them evenly. Place equal amounts of the egg mix in the middle of four slices of bread, then spread the mix out evenly to cover the whole slice. Top with lettuce and the remaining pieces of bread, and serve immediately.
Variations
This filling is also great on a rustic baguette. To make it a little lighter, add some watercress as well as lettuce. To go in the other direction, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to add an assertive cheese like Gruyère or perhaps cheddar or provolone; lay a few slices on top of the egg mix, before you top with lettuce.
To make this vegan, a tasty hummus can replace the mayonnaise and you could use fried strips of eggplant (aubergine) or zucchini (courgette) instead of the egg, or perhaps roasted and marinated capsicum (pepper).
Whatever the route you choose, slice them into finger sandwiches for a fantastic canapé.
Images and text from Baker Bleu by Mike Russell, photography by Parker Blain. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.
