Duck Egg Omelette

Today I am inspired to create a Duck Egg Omelette. Ridley Road, Dalston Market is one of my favourite food markets in London and one of my favourite food stands is Julia’s Farms. Julia runs a store that has been in her family in Dalston, Eat London for over 50 years. Her Dad and grandfather had ensured the business was passed down from generation to generation. The first ever crate of eggs I bought from Julia’s were quail eggs which went into making Ghana salad. I recall waiting silently whilst mulling over what eggs – chicken, quail, free range, large, small, branded, non-branded to buy. As I waited Julia chatted with an elderly lady about holidays. The elderly customer’s shopping bag was slowly being filled with what seemed like hundreds of eggs. I eventually bought some quail eggs and knew I’d come back once I had had them.

Julia – Ridley Road, Dalston, East London, UK 

Today I bought duck eggs and informed her it was my first. That piece of information was what this affable entrepreneur needed to school me on all things duck eggs amidst stories on how she was thrilled about how a Spanish customer of her’s is now using her quail eggs as pickles. Duck eggs I was told was more fatty (not sure I wanted to hear that), richer in flavour and could be used to add richness and moisture to baked foods. I have since learned duck eggs can be used for fresh pasta, mayonnaise and crumbled over salad.

Given tomorrow is a Saturday only one meal came into mind, an Omelette with toasted bread (great meal if you are planning on shutting your brain and lazing about with a remote control in hand) but with duck eggs instead of chicken’s!

My ingredients list for the Duck Egg Omelette includes gluten free sausages from the Black Farmer, a Gold winner of the Great Taste Awards. Like Julian, our egg entrepreneur featured above, the Jamaican born Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones has a compelling story, as one of a handful of black farmers in the United Kingdom. Being African born and a resident of London and having worked on a farm in the Kent countryside, near my agriculture college, Wye college, hay baling and fencing for an entire summer, it is one that I identify with.