Organic, pasture-raised eggs are nature's food of life, packed with protein and vitamins A, C and D and minerals. I love being able to create a delicious meal in minutes and Eight at Gazegill's Chorizo Eggs with Cavolo Nero is a riot of colour, flavours and textures in the dead of winter and the ideal comfort dish to spice up supper, lunch or breakfast and sustain you.
Not all eggs are equal. Do seek out the best local and organic eggs from your local organic farm, slow food market or small producer. In a 2010 study, Penn State University found that organic eggs contain three times as much omega 3 as conventional eggs. Pasture raised eggs also contain higher levels of vitamins and the chickens are free to roam, peck and forage as live as nature intended.
The quality and provenance of the chorizo is just as important. Avoid supermarket chorizo and look out for small producers of organic and free range charcuterie, made with pasture for life meat and minimal additives.
My tried and tested favourites are Peelham Farm in Scotland, who offer nationwide delivery and also sell at local farmers markets. ( The charcuterie is free of nitrates and nitrites which turn into nitrosamines when exposed to high temperatures. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic and have been linked to increased risks of stomach and colon cancer.) I also like Rare and Pasture for organic, pasture-raised charcuterie of exceptional taste, flavour and provenance. The cooking chorizo is juicy, hot and an award winner.
If you are visiting the north or Lancashire, or live in the county, go and experience imaginative farm to fork organic and local food at Eight at Gazegill and support a family farm that has existed for 500 years.
A Feast of Wild and Foraged Food
Stop Press! Eight at Gazegill presents a Wild and Foraged Feast at the restaurant on Friday January the 31st 2025. The banquet is hosted by Chef Patron Doug Crampton and forager and wild food educator, Craig Worrall. The banquet is priced at £85.00 per person, excluding drinks.
The menu for the evening will showcase the bounty of nature's seasonal winter larder. Diners can look forward to wild duck and hare, curious foraged seeds and preserved summer fruits. For one night, go and enjoy cooking alchemy and experience the wild and foraged jewels of the Lancashire countryside.
Wood roast Yorkshire Chorizo Eggs
200g Chorizo, ideally organic or local free range – diced
50g diced shallot
½ red chilli de seeded and diced
½ clove garlic – fine chopped
4 Organic Hens Egg
1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
½ tsp garam masala
100g cavolo nero
Sea salt
Chopped coriander to garnish
Method
Lightly fry the chorizo in a dry frying pan or a skillet
Add the shallot, chilli and garlic and cook with the Chorizo
Crack eggs into the pan – leaving room between each egg
Cook gently on a low heat until the whites are set.
Top with the organic cavolo nero leaves and leave to wilt
Spiced salt - combine the sea salt, garam masala and toasted coriander seeds and pound in a pestle and mortar
Season the eggs with the spiced salt and snipped fresh coriander.
Enjoy!
To find out more about Eight at Gazegill, the restaurant at Gazegill Organic Farm, visit the website for opening times and bookings.
Gazegill Farm offers a nationwide organic farm 2 fork box scheme. Highlights include organic raw milk, pasture raised meat, organic raw cheese and butter and store cupboard staples.
Copyright The Luminaries Magazine/Alison Jane Reid January 2025. All Rights Reserved. No copying of Ai Usage Whatsoever.
