Ingredients

Method

• 1 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 3 cups milk
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 free-range eggs
• 200 g Woolworths oak-smoked trout ribbons
• Microgreens, to garnish
• Lemon juice, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the garlic over a low heat until fragrant. Toss in the cauliflower and cook for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the milk, cover with a cartouche (a circle of baking paper that prevents the liquid from evaporating) and simmer over a low heat until the cauliflower is tender.

Pour the mixture into a blender, blend until smooth and season to taste.

Fill 4 jars or ramekins with the cauliflower purée about a third of the way up. Crack 2 eggs into each jar or ramekin and seal with lids. Place into a large saucepan or bain-marie of simmering water – make sure the water reaches above the eggs. Allow to stand for 10–15 minutes, or until the whites have set and the yolks are cooked.

Remove from the water and remove the lids.

Serve with the trout, microgreens and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cook's note: Inspired by Alvin Cailan's signature dish at Eggslut in LA, this is a fantastic easy-entertaining dish. The cauliflower purée is so delicious and perfect for the eggs to nestle in while they cook.

To poach or to coddle?

Both processes involve near-boiling water but, for a traditional poach, the egg is dropped directly into the water and cooked just enough to set the white and leave the yolk runny. For coddling, the egg is usually cooked in a coddler –
a utensil with a lid that’s immersed into the boiling water until the egg is very lightly cooked (the perfect method for eggs used in Caesar salad dressing).

Browse more egg recipes here.