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Wednesday 9 September 2009

Pickled Eggs, Tattooed Gentlemen & Flying Donkeys

It's now dusk and I have (hopefully) secured the donkeys in their summer field with some extra poles in the electric fence, together with a new battery for the fencer itself. I live in dread and constantly expect to see them munching their way through my raspberries and mowing my precious wild flower area just outside the office windows...

All the local farmers tell me how after just 1 or 2 zaps from an electric fence, no animal will even go near it ever again. Once zapped and scared of it, they stay well away even when it is turned off...

That is all animals in Ireland except Thomas and Aoife... The only flying, belly creeping, pole lifting donkeys on the island, maybe even in Europe. They roll under the fence, they jump over it, and they will even push it over bit by bit until they can walk over it... and this is all whilst it is connected to the 'Turbo' electric fencer I bought to replace the normal one they used to laugh at.

So I am sat here this evening with my fingers crossed and hoping that my blood pressure can cope.

I thought that I would share a recipe today, which goes back to my younger years in England when guys in bars used to be incredibly macho and eat pickled eggs with their 'real' ale. In fact in some parts of the UK this traditional snack is still considered a delicacy by many a tattooed, beer swilling gentleman whilst he is partaking of his lunchtime victuals.

Pickled Eggs

10 fl oz (300ml) Malt Vinegar
2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 handful Pickling Spice
2 teaspoons Black Treacle
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 dozen hard-boiled Eggs, shelled

1. Boil all the ingredients together, except the eggs, for 15 minutes.


2. Allow the liquid to cool.

3. Place the cold hard-boiled eggs (without their shells) and the pickling liquid in a 2.5kg/5lb sterilised jar.

4. Turn upside down to mix well.

5. Leave for about 1 month before eating.

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