Vegetarian & Vegan
Vegetarian & Vegan
Cloud eggs
A quick but impressive snack or starter that takes just minutes to prepare
My French friend Sophie, who lives in my village, mentioned the other day that she had made Oeufs Nuages, which reminded me that we once made ‘Cloud Eggs’ in my school cookery lessons. They’re like savoury ‘meringues’ with an egg yolk centre. I don’t think I’ve ever made them since, so I decided to revisit the recipe and was immediately reminded how delicious they are - and how simple they are to make. In the photo, I’ve shown how they look just as they are about to go into the oven. Once cooked, the meringues have a lovely golden tinge to them and the yolks are as set as you’d like them to be, depending on how long you cook them for
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 2 eggs
- a few chives
- small handful of grated cheese (ideally parmesan, but cheddar works too)
Method
First, put two greased squares of baking parchment on a baking tray. Separate the eggs, putting each yolk in a separate teacup or small bowl. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then, using the side edge of a metal dessertspoon, VERY gently fold in the chives and cheese along with plenty of seasoning.
Divide the mixture between the two squares, shaping the 'meringue' mixture into circles, and make a dip with the back of a teaspoon in the centre of each. Bake at 200C (fan oven) for 5-7 minutes until just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven, and add a yolk to the centre of each meringue. Bake for another 2-4 minutes, depending on how runny you like your egg yolks (I baked mine for 3 mins).
A Cook's Plot Tip
I've given ingredients here to serve two, but the quantities are easily multiplied. Separate the eggs yolks into individual cups, otherwise you won't get a nice neat yolk in each 'meringue' base. It's best to use the edge of a metal spoon to fold the other ingredients into the whisked egg whites because it will cut through the mixture and knock out less air than if you were to stir with the whole spoon.