Nik Sharma offers two spice-forward recipes: a French onion soup enhanced with nigella seeds and ghee, and poached eggs with garlic yoghurt and green chutney, his twist on the Turkish breakfast dish çılbır.
Poached eggs with green chutney and yoghurt
For the chutney, toast pumpkin seeds in a dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. After a minute, add cumin seeds and toast for another minute and a half to two minutes until fragrant and light brown; if they burn, discard and start again. Blend the seeds with coriander, green chilli, ice-cold water, lime or lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and sugar or honey until smooth. Add more cold water if needed to loosen; the chutney should not be too runny. Season with salt and extra sugar to taste. The chutney can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to submerge an egg, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In another saucepan, bring 2½cm of water to a low simmer. Mix Greek yoghurt with grated garlic and salt in a metal bowl, set over the second pan, and whisk for two to three minutes until smooth. Spoon the yoghurt into two serving bowls.
Poaching method and serving
Crack each egg into a fine-mesh strainer, letting the loose white drain for about 10 seconds. Transfer the egg to a small bowl and add a teaspoon of lemon juice. Stir the barely simmering water to create a vortex, then slide in the egg. Poach for three to four minutes until the whites are opaque, then lift out with a slotted spoon and place on the yoghurt. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Top with generous spoonfuls of chutney, garnish with coriander sprigs, and serve with toasted sourdough.
Nigella-scented French onion soup
Melt ghee in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions, garlic, nigella seeds, and a pinch of salt, toss to coat, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes until soft and translucent. Remove the lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for about another hour until golden brown, adding a few tablespoons of water if the onions stick or burn.
Wrap thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf in cheesecloth, tie with twine, and steep in vegetable stock with water and miso for 30 minutes. Stir flour into the onions, cook for two minutes, add sherry, then gradually stir in the hot stock. Simmer for six to eight minutes until slightly thickened. Bake baguette slices for croutons, then grill with gruyere and nigella seeds until the cheese melts. Serve the soup hot, garnished with thyme leaves.
These recipes are edited extracts from Fundamentals of Flavor: 100 Recipes for the Science of Better Cooking by Nik Sharma, published by Chronicle Books at £35.
