Eggs Benedict

For the poached egg: bring about 10cm of water (the height is more important than the volume) to the boil and turn down the heat to a simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Break your eggs separately in a little bowl, bring them very close to the water and let them fall gently over a bubble stream. With a spatula or spoon, try to ensure the egg whites don’t spread too much. Cook them for 3 minutes exactly, so that the whites are cooked, and the yolks are hot, but still soft.;Make the hollandaise:over a pan of steaming water, whisk the yolks in a bowl with the lemon juice until thickened but not scrambled. Add the cubed butter and whisk until melted and blended. Finish with salt and pepper, whisking until creamy and thickened.

Split and lightly toast the muffins and put 2 halves on each plate. Grill the slices of bacon on both sides until golden. Top each muffin half with a slice of bacon, one poached egg and cover with the hollandaise sauce.

French Toast

Zest the lemon trying to avoid the bitter white pith. Boil the milk with the sugar and zest. Beat the eggs until the whites are completely blended. Dip the bread slices into the milk mixture and then in the egg. Fry them in a heavy-based pan until golden on both sides and drain them on kitchen paper. Dust with sugar and cinnamon.

Omelette Arnold Bennett

Gently poach the haddock in the milk in a covered pan until it begins to flake. Pick the meat from the skin and bones, sieve the milk and let it cool. In a saucepan, melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and add the flour. Whisk in the milk in batches and boil to form a creamy sauce. Turn off the heat and beat in the yolks and cheese (keep some extra to finish the dish). Finish with the fish flakes and cream, and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season lightly. Heat the remaining butter in a heavy-based omelette or frying pan and let it foam before adding the eggs. Stir them a bit and then let them set on the bottom. While the top is still creamy, pour the fish sauce over, sprinkle the rest of the cheese and place the pan under a hot grill until golden brown. Slide the omelette to your serving platter and sprinkle with fresh parsley or a herb of your choice.

Basic Perfect Omelette

Beat the eggs with a fork in a bowl, just enough to mix the yolks and whites, but without adding too much air to it. Season with salt and pepper. If you like, you can add 1 tablespoon of water/milk to make a lighter or creamier omelette. Heat the butter in a non-stick heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until it starts foaming. Pour in the egg mixture and, as it starts to set, push the edges to the middle with a spatula and lean the pan to let any raw egg on top cover the bottom again. Shake the pan to prevent the eggs from sticking. Repeat this until half-cooked, leaving some of the creamy egg on top. Add your chosen filling (if you want one), lean the pan again to move the omelette and gently fold it in half. Slide it on to the plate.

Mushroom, Bacon and Tomato Omelette

Seed and dice the tomatoes. In a heavy based non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the bacon slices until golden on both sides. Set them aside. In the same hot pan, fry the sliced mushrooms until softened. Set alongside the bacon. Beat the eggs with a fork in a bowl, just enough to mix the yolks and whites, but without adding too much air to it. Season with salt and pepper. If you like, you can add 1 tablespoon of water/milk to make a lighter or creamier omelette. Heat the butter in a non-stick heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until it starts foaming. Pour in the egg mixture and, as it starts to set, push the edges to the middle with a spatula and let any raw egg on top cover the bottom again. Shake the pan to prevent the egg from sticking. Repeat this until half-cooked, leaving some of the creamy egg on top. Add the mushrooms, bacon, diced tomato and cheese. Lean the pan to move the omelette to the side and gently fold it in half. Slide it to the plate.

Poached Eggs with Roasted Stuffed Mushrooms

Peel the mushrooms remove stalks. Clean the stalks and mince in a food processor. Filling: chop the garlic and parsley finely. Slice the bacon into strips. In a pan, fry the bacon until golden. Drain and return its fat to the pan. Fry the garlic for 30sec, add the minced stalks and stir. Add the wine and boil until the mixture dries up. Turn off the heat and add the parsley and fried bacon. Season the filling with salt and pepper. Fill the mushroom cavities, cover with breadcrumbs and parmesan and roast in a very hot oven until the tops are golden (10 minutes). In another pan, bring about 10cm of water to boil and turn the heat down to a simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Break the eggs separately in a bowl, bring them very close to the water and let them fall gently over a bubble stream. With a spatula or spoon, try to ensure the egg whites don’t spread too much. Cook them for 3 minutes exactly, so that the whites are cooked and the yolks are still soft. Serve over the hot mushrooms.

Great British Fry Up: English Breakfast

Put an ovenproof dish in a low oven. Put a heavy frying pan over a medium-high flame. One or two at a time, grill the sausages, bacon, black pudding, hash browns, diced mushrooms and tomatoes slices, turning while they cook. As soon as each one is ready, transfer to the dish in the oven to keep warm. Last put the baked beans in the pan and warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another non-stick pan, melt a knob of butter and add the eggs, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange all the warm ingredients in two plates and serve with toasted bread, HP sauce or tomato ketchup on the side. Don’t forget your cup of tea.

Basic Meatballs (Polpette)

Cut the bread into pieces and soak it with a little milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk. In a bowl, mix the beef, mortadella, eggs, parmesan, parsley, soaked bread, pignoli (optional), finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. With your hands, make 7-8cm (diameter) meatballs. Then, gently squeeze them into a light cylinder shape. Optionally, you can coat them with some breadcrumbs or flour. Fry them in medium-hot oil so they cook all the way through (about 10 minutes). You can make smaller balls if you want them to cook quicker. Drain them on kitchen paper and serve.

Hollandaise Sauce

Place the egg yolks and water in a bowl over simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisk until thick and pale. Add the butter cubes, a few at a time, and whisk until thick again. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Asparagus with Poached Egg

For the asparagus, bring a large pan of salted water to boil. To get rid of their fibrous base, bend them slightly and it should just pop out. Peel them half way down from the heads and blanch them in the boiling water for about 1-2 minutes (depending on the thickness). You want them still crunchy, al dente. Transfer them to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. In another pan, bring about 10cm of water (the height is more important than the volume) to boil and turn down the heat to a simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Break your eggs separately in a little bowl, bring them very close to the water and let them fall gently over a bubble stream. With a spatula or spoon, try to help the egg whites not to spread so much. Cook them for 3 minutes exactly, so that the whites are cooked and the yolks are hot, but still soft.

If you want, you can gently brown the asparagus in butter and adjust the seasoning, before serving them under the poached eggs.