Tech Tip #17

When you’re travelling in foreign climes, where the only shop seems to contain bars of soap and ugali or polenta or mystery tins, the one universal staple is the humble egg, which is generally cheap, easy to buy and tasty. Like bananas, eggs are good, as they come in their own packaging, and you can easily check their quality. Here are a few egg tips. Obvious, but check before you buy (the fresh ones tend to be under the old ones). A cracked egg can make you sick. People don’t refrigerate eggs in the back and beyond, but eggs will last 1 to 3 weeks depending on the temperature (in Patagonia they can have dust on them and be OK, in Nambia you want to see the egg pop out of the chicken). Boiled eggs are great trail food (as is Tortilla), but fresh eggs don’t peel, so use older eggs. If you’re unsure of the age of the egg, then test each one (don’t crack ten eggs into a bowl for an omelette, and find one is rotten). Do this by submerging the egg in water. If it floats upright, it’s off. If it lays on its side at the bottom, it’s fresh. If it sits at the bottom, but at a slight angle, then it’s not fresh, but it’s fine. Frying eggs is messy, and boiling is less so (bring to the boil and cook for 7 minutes), but for me, omelettes and poached eggs are my favourites. When poaching, crack the egg into a cup first (a measuring cup is ideal), and then slip it into just off the boil, simmering water, as you’re poaching (boiling water will break up the egg). Omelettes are great as you can make a big one that doubles as breakfast or lunch, and you can throw any old crap in there. The trick is to get the frying pan super hot. As soon as the egg hits the pan, it will cook and thicken at the edges, and this should be dragged into the middle to form the centre of the omelette. Fold over when it’s nearly there and flip a few times. That’s enough eggs for today, but stay tuned as I have more eggs tips stored away : )