Eggs – the star ingredient in winter comfort food

As the winter chill sets in, so comfort food calls our name. The more decadent, the better. Of course, healthy eating is the ultimate goal, but when it comes to cold days, a little bit of cheating doesn’t hurt! Naturally rich whole eggs (yolk included) add depth and deliciousness to any dish, so they top our list of winter comfort foodie must-haves.

While eggs are nutrient dense, it’s the yolk that’s the real hero and the most nutritious part of the egg. Egg yolks contain the heart-healthy fats called monounsaturated fats as well as half of the protein of the whole egg. Yolks also contain vitamins A, D, E and iron.

Although there is cholesterol in eggs, cholesterol is actually a major part of the human brain, is an essential structural component in cell membranes, and is a chemical precursor for some hormones.

Scientists are also starting to discover that dietary cholesterol, like that found in whole eggs, is not well absorbed by the body and so doesn’t raise blood cholesterol.

Those dedicated people still braving the cold to go to gym will be happy to know that eating whole eggs during weight training helps with better muscle building, improvements in body fat and greater strength.

Now we know all the reasons why we’re eating whole eggs this winter. The only question is, how are we cooking them up to hit that comfort food spot?

Well, the Portuguese monks of the 18^th century must have known a thing or two, for they based an entire sweet treat around the golden richness of eggs. These little morsels from heaven are famous around the world, including right here in South Africa thanks to our prolific Portuguese community.

You guessed it, we’re talking about pastéis or pastel de nata otherwise known as Portuguese custard tarts.

Pastel de nata have a fascinating history. They were created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Santa Maria de Belem where, as was the custom at the time, egg whites were used to starch nuns’ habits. This resulted in a ton of leftover egg yolks, which were then used to bake sweet pastries.

One of those treats was the now-famous pastéis de nata with their crisp, flaky layers of pastry and delicious, creamy egg-custard filling topped with a dusting of cinnamon.

Winter just wouldn’t be the same without a touch of indulgence. Whatever you’re whipping up, do it with eggs. Whole eggs create structure and stability in your batter, thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, and add moisture to cakes and baked goods. Eggs also create the perfect crumble in biscuits and the richness in short crust pastry.

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Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Makes 10

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Cost per recipe: Under R10 each

Ingredients:

• 400 g roll puff pastry, defrosted
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, sifted + extra
• 125 ml (½ cup) sugar
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) water
• 1 strip lemon peel
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon + extra
• 1 egg + 2 yolks
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) cornflour
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
• Pinch salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease 10 holes of a standard cupcake tray with cooking spray.
2. Roll the pastry open and dust all over with icing sugar. Cut the pastry into 10 x 11 cm circles. Reroll off cuts and repeat.
3. Press the pastry, icing sugar side down, into the greased holes to make cases. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Heat the sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon on medium, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until a light golden syrup forms. Cool. Remove the lemon.
5. Whisk together the egg, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in a heatproof bowl.
6. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan to just before boiling point. Stir through the vanilla and salt. Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while stirring.
7. Return the egg custard to the saucepan and cook, while stirring with a wooden spoon, on low heat for about 5 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Take care not to let the mixture boil or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
8. Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly. Pour through a sieve.
9. Pour into the pastry cases until almost filled to the rim and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened in spots.
10. Remove from the tray, with a knife, while still hot. Sift over extra icing sugar and ground cinnamon, if you like.