The perfect omelette

• 2 eggs
• A pinch of pepper – ground white, black, cayenne and/or paprika
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil – sunflower or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of butter
• Filling – grated cheddar cheese, cubes of feta, quartered cherry tomato, finely chopped herbs, pieces of bacon, slivers of smoked salmon, wilted spinach with nutmeg, or whatever combination you want

1. Whisk eggs and pepper very well.
2. Heat oil and butter in an omelette pan on medium heat.
3. Make a well, turn the pan to fill the well.
4. Make another well, fill the well.
5. Make another well, fill the well.
6. Make another well, fill the well.
7. Put the filling onto half the omelette and flip the other half over.
8. Slide the omelette out onto a plate.

So simple.

The ultimate gourmet Niçoise salad

This delicious and well balanced protein-rich salad originated in Nice, France. Although its origins and “correctness” vary according to your source, the classic Niçoise salad is built by topping a bed of greens with tomato, onion or shallots, red pimento and green string beans, tuna, calamata olives, boiled new potatoes, hard-boiled egg and anchovy fillets.

Here we replace the green beans with asparagus, and instead of tinned tuna (which is fine) we use fresh seared tuna. Also, you’ll learn a secret dressing that may change your life.

For 2 to 4 people:

• 4 free-range eggs
• 8 new potatoes, skin on, scrubbed
• 100g baby asparagus spears
• 300g fillet of sashimi-quality yellowfin tuna
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A quarter of a small lemon
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie Doll mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soya sayce
• 100g greens such as rocket, lettuce, baby spinach leaves, watercress
• Handful of small tomatoes such as cherry or roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 shallot or small onion, very finely sliced then chopped
• 1/2 of a red or yellow sweet pepper, deseeded and very finely cubed
• Handful of black calamata olives, pipped and halved
• A pinch of white pepper
• 6 anchovey fillets, 4 halved and 2 chopped finely

Put room-temperature eggs into a saucepan with 2 teaspoons salt and cover by 2cm with water, bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover with lid and allow eggs to sit for about 18 minutes. Plunge eggs into cold water, knock the shells and allow to cool.

Meanwhile cover new potatoes in boiling salted water and boil rapidy for about 6 minutes, piercing each potato once about halfway through. In the last 2 minutes add asparagus. Drain and rinse potatoes and asparagus in cold water.

Rub the tuna fillets with olive oil and sear in a hot non-stick pan. Turn once, after about 2 minutes, cook for another 2 minutes or until it’s white on the outside and still red but warm on the inside. Remove and allow to cool on a cutting board.

Turn off the heat and add 4 finely chopped anchovy fillets, another splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and white pepper. Then (here’s the secret) add Kewpie Doll mayonnaise and Kikkoman soya sauce. Whisk dressing ingredients together.

On a flat platter spread greens. Top with halved tomatoes, shallots, pimento and olives.

Slice the cooled tuna at an angle and place slices on salad.

Halve the cool potatoes and place on top. Peel and quarter or slice eggs and place around the sides of the platter. Top with asparagus spears and half anchovy fillets, then drizzle with creamy Kewpie-mayo–soya-anchovy-lemon dressing.

 

Kewpie Doll mayonnaise