It is still exciting to enter the coop, with its warm, cosy scent amidst the soft clucking of the hens. The chickens, in their own quiet way, have been working through the night, turning the ordinary into something extraordinary. You open the wooden door, weathered by time and use, and there they are — eggs nestled in straw, still warm to the touch, like nature's own treasures. Each one is unique, with shells that vary in colour from the palest cream to the deepest brown, some speckled, others smooth and unblemished. There’s a tactile pleasure in cradling them in your hands, feeling the weight and warmth, marveling at the delicate strength of each shell.
My parents and I would often holiday in the Yorkshire Dales and stay in basic caravans on a farm. We’d throw on a coat at dawn, march off to collect the eggs for breakfast and then spend most of the day playing hide and seek in a castle-like hay barn.
The barn stood tall and proud, like a fortress of rustic charm in the golden light of summer mornings. Inside, the air was thick with the sweet, earthy smell of hay and as your eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the wooden slats, the barn transformed before you — a castle of straw and twine.
Quite frankly, you've not lived if you've not stayed in a Caravan. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, the beds never quite big enough.... but the joys of a silent morning cuppa surrounded by nature, the quick witted creativity of cooking in a minute kitchen, cocooned dreams in a sleeping bag, tea cosies, net curtains, and nostalgic vibes. I may be looking back through rose tinted glasses, but to me, you can't beat the Darling Buds of May.
FREE RANGE EGGS
You don't need much space to own Hens and have your own freshly laid eggs, but if you do not want to keep poultry, please try and buy Free Range Eggs.
Having seen the atrocious state chickens spend their short lives in a battery farm, I cannot advocate enough that you spend a little more on free range eggs. Chickens confined to small spaces in barns will peck each other, or themselves, in distress and as a result have hardly any feathers. Their skin and comb also becomes very pale due to lack of sunlight, their eggs will lack nutritional value and the yolk is yellow in colour. The sign of a really good free range egg is it's viscous, deep orange yolk colour. Studies have shown Eggs from free-range hens contain: a third less cholesterol, a quarter less saturated fat, two thirds more Vitamin A, twice as much Omega-3 and thrice as much Vitamin E!
WHAT CONSTITUTES FREE RANGE EGGS?
In the UK, for eggs to be labeled as "free range," they must meet specific criteria. The key requirements for free range eggs include:
Outdoor Access: Hens must have continuous daytime access to outdoor ranges, allowing them to roam freely outside. The outdoor area should provide at least 4 square meters per hen.
Indoor Space: Inside the barn, the stocking density must not exceed 9 hens per square meter of usable area. This ensures that the hens have enough space to move around comfortably indoors.
Natural Light and Environment: The environment should be designed to allow natural behaviors like perching, nesting, and dust bathing. Adequate natural light and ventilation are required.
RECIPE
DIPPY EGGS - THE PERFECT SOFT BOILED EGG
Now, I don't want to teach you how to suck eggs... but there is a divine pleasure in a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg and we have been perfecting the art for many years.
The key here is a little trial and error. The perfect runny Dippy Egg depends on the size of your egg. I have compared our eggs to supermarket eggs and they are roughly Large or XL in Sainsbury's and the same size as Clarence Court eggs. The following timings are based on eggs of this size.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Eggs
Egg cup
Sourdough
Butter
Salt & Pepper
METHOD
Put enough water in a saucepan that will cover your egg, but do not put the egg in just yet.
Boil the water in the pan until large bubbles are popping on the surface
Gently and quickly place as many eggs (at room temp) as required into the pan and cover
Set a timer for 1 minute
Once the eggs have been bubbling for 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and set aside with the lid on, and set another timer for 3.5-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, pop a couple of slices of sourdough in the toaster and butter.
Once the 3.5 minutes are up, gently ease the eggs into egg cups and serve with sourdough sliced into soldiers.
They're aptly named Dippy Eggs because the yolk oozes over the soldier as you dip in your buttery toasted soldiers. Once you have finished your egg, turn it upside down in your egg cup and bash it to bits. Jolly good fun.
A note on pans - we have to adjust this recipe fairly dramatically when using old pans that do not conduct heat well. We use our "aga" saucepans which tend to heat very quickly so 3.5 minutes is just about right. It has been known to leave the eggs for 5 minutes in less heat conductive pans. Once you've worked out your pans and size of eggs, this recipe is simple, reliable and easy to work to all tastes.
