Theperfume
wineisa big
overallapp
concentrat
andyou’re
don’tjust
nosein– tobe
a goods ..
1 Usea glasswitha large
bowl;fillit onlya thirdfull.
2 Swirltheglasstomovethe
liquidaroundthebowl,
whichreleasesitsaroma,
whooshingit uptoyournose.
3 Afterswirling,takea big
sniff,ora seriesofsmall
sniffs.Thinkaboutthe
aromaofeachwineandall
theassociationsit brings.
You’llbesurprisedhow
quicklythisincreasesyour
wineknowledge.A GOODTIP
Practiseyoursniffingon
winesknownfortheir
enticingaromas,suchas
pinotnoir(juicycherriesand
berries),gewürztraminer
(rosewaterandmelons)and
tawnyport(roastednuts,
orangepeelandcaramel).ANDREMEMBER...
Winecansmellbad
occasionally,ofcourse.In
thescentyoumaypickup
onfaultssuchasthemusty
smellofcorkedwine.- Findparts1 and 2
ofSusy’sguideat
deliciousmagazine.co.uk–
search‘wineknow-how’
OUR STRICT TEST CONDITIONS We tried three different methods, using medium eggs
(50-60g each) and cooking them both hard boiled and soft. The hard-boiled eggs were
plunged immediately into a large bowl of cold water to cool quickly – this stops a grey
ring forming around the yolk. The soft ones were served immediately.
METHOD 1. Start with cold water Put the eggs in a pan and cover with cold
water to a depth of 2cm. Bring to the boil over a high heat, with bubbles breaking the
surface in succession. Cook for 2 minutes more for soft boiled, 5½-6 for hard.
THE VERDICT The yolk in the soft-boiled egg was runny, though the white
was firmly set. In the hard-boiled version, there was a bit of softness in the
centre of the yolk, but it was starting to turn powdery at the edges.
Again, the white was a little rubbery.
METHOD 2. Start with boiling water Use
room temperature eggs so they don’t crack. Carefully
lower them into a pan of boiling water so they’re
covered to a depth of 2cm. Continue to cook at a high
simmer: 6 minutes for soft and 10 minutes for hard.
THE VERDICT In both soft and hard versions, the
white was a little more tender than in method 1.
The yolk in the soft egg was still liquid; in the hard
version, it kept a pleasing fudginess.
METHOD 3. Steep off the heat
This is method 1 with a plot twist. Put the eggs in
a pan and cover with cold water to a depth of 2cm.
Bring to a boil over a high heat, with large bubbles
breaking the surface in quick succession, then
immediately remove from the heat and
leave for 2½ minutes for soft and
7 minutes for hard.
THE VERDICT We have a winner.
The yolk in the soft version was
lovely and runny while the white was
softly set. In the hard-boiled egg, the
yolk had an evenly fudgy texture and
the white was yielding rather than rubbery.
OUR
WINNER
METHOD 3SIDE BY SIDE TEST
THE BIG BOIL-OFF
We put three egg methods
through their paces
We love a good boiled egg, and we love Clarence Court eggs, our
test kitchen standby. Its flock is made up of traditional breeds such
as Burford Brown and Cotswold Legbar. The Burfords, with their
chestnut shells, have deep golden yolks, while the yolks of the Legbar eggs are
wonderfully creamy. Both also deliver richness of flavour, the result of a free-range
life spent foraging for food in the fields and an additional diet that contains grains,
seashell, paprika and marigold. But never mind all that – how best to boil them?
.deliciousmagazine.co.uk 133
MASTERCLASS: THE KNOWLEDGE