Week 1 - Tea with Eggs

Tea with eggs

Welcome to Week 1 of the Colony of Avalon's 2018 Great Colonial Cook Off (cue the trumpets and angel choir!) Keeping with tradition, we're kicking things off with a beverage .... ummm .... well, at least it's supposed to be drunk from a glass ... or a bowl. We'll fill you in on all the details shortly. In the meantime, here's the recipe. It comes to us courtesy of Sir Kenelm Digby and the 1669 edition of his The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened. The dish is called Tea with Eggs. Digby claimed it was excellent for "when you come home from attending business abroad, and are very hungry, and yet have not conveniency to eat presently a competent meal". We'll let you be the judge:

“To near a pint of the infusion [green tea], take two yolks of new laid eggs, and beat them very well with as much fine Sugar as is sufficient for this quantity of Liquor; when they are very well incorporated, pour your Tea upon the Eggs and Sugar, and stir them very well together. So drink it hot.”

Here's our best guess at a 21st century translation:

• Fill the bottom of a small saucepan with a few inches of water. Set on heat and bring to a boil.
• Separate two large eggs and place the yolks into a heat proof bowl
• Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until pale and slightly thickened (a couple of minutes)
• Add 2 cups of strong green tea (or feel free to experiment with an herbal tea)
• Set the bowl over the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is slightly thickened and the egg is cooked (taste it, you'll know)
• Drink hot. Makes two big cups

Give it a try. Snap a pic of the results and post it to the Colony's Facebook page for a chance to win this week's prize