Mrs Bailey’s Way with Eggs

Is it an omelette? No. Scrambled eggs? Also no. Delicious, though…

Actually, Mrs Bailey has a dozen dozen ways with eggs, as you’d expect. This, though: this is so very much her own, I don’t believe it has a name, so. We just call ’em Bailey Eggs.

Approach as you would an omelette; you want a filling, and a couple of eggs.

Separate the eggs. Add salt and pepper to the whites, but don’t beat them. Leave the yolks whole.

If it’s the sort of filling that calls for frying — mushrooms, eg, or the leftover-rice-and-chillies mix I’m thinking about for my own lunch this day — then fry away, but — importantly! — use a nonstick pan, and a soft spatula. If it’s the sort of filling that doesn’t call for frying — cheese, eg — have it ready by the cooker.

Turn the heat down low.

Add the egg whites, and the filling if it’s not already in the pan, and essentially scramble the whites into the filling until they’re just cooked but still very soft.

Add the egg yolks, break them with the spatula, and fold them into the mixture. That done, you can pull ’em straight out onto the plate if you’re after the shapelessness of scrambled, or let ’em set a moment if you’d rather have an omelettish solidity.