Egg Recipes for Picnics

Picnic eggs used to mean hard-boiled
Now we have more choice

Egg recipes for picnics used to consist of hard-boiled eggs. When I was a child, hard-boiled eggs were often on a picnic menu. They are still nice, with some crunchy sea salt, and should not be dismissed. They are definitely fast picnic food – ten minutes to boil and then put in cold water so you don’t get a black rim around the yolk. Easy to transport. Peel when you get there.

Hard-boiled quails’ eggs with celery salt are a bit more posh. They look attractive un-peeled in a bowl and picnickers can peel their own and dip in the salt. Good as a picnic “starter”.

Of course we mustn't forget the good old Scotch egg either, which is enjoying a revival in the modern picnic. Home-made in advance,

Scotch eggs are a very tasty and convenient portable food.

With a few more minutes in hand before you leave home, you can make an omelette – but not a French one - a frittata or tortilla. These are easy egg recipes for picnics.

Frittata is the name for an Italian omelette and tortilla for a Spanish one. They are similar to each other, but not folded and creamy in the middle as a French omelette. Best eaten when they have cooled, they are ideal egg recipes for picnics.

They are also easy to transport in foil, because they should be fairly solid, golden discs, about an inch thick, which you then slice into wedges, like a cake.

A frittata is made of eggs and lightly cooked vegetables while a tortilla is traditionally made with eggs and potatoes. Sometimes fried sliced onions are added and it can also contain little bit of chorizo, red or green peppers and garlic. I’ve also eaten spinach tortilla in Spain, so it’s getting more like a frittata!

A traditional tortilla is cooked in a frying pan until it is set, then you tip it over onto a plate (or a special tortilla plate which has a handle in the middle of the back) and slide it back into the pan the other way up. If you don’t fancy this manoeuvre, (which can sometimes end in tears if you’re not practiced), simply put it under the grill to cook the top to a golden puffiness.

Make a pure potato tortilla, well seasoned, or substitute all or some of the potatoes with fried onion, peas, spinach or other vegetables as you desire. (Remember with spinach to drain it thoroughly first)

You can also add cheese such as Parmesan, Feta or Emmental cheese, finely grated. Herbs are nice too and tiny bits of red chilli – in fact whatever you have to hand! These egg recipes for picnics are very adaptable!

You will be able to make this easily if you have a really good, non-stick, frying pan. Otherwise it can be a bit of an ordeal getting it out of the pan in its nice round shape! It’s also easier if the pan has a lid because the potatoes should not fry and get crispy.

For a simple potato tortilla:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 large potatoes (about 750 g), peeled and thinly sliced
5 large eggs
salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 20 cm, non-stick, lidded frying pan. When hot add the potato slices and stir to coat with oil. Season. Reduce heat to very low and cook gently for about 15 minutes, covered. Turn the potatoes once and shake gently from time to time until tender.

Meanwhile beat the eggs together in a large bowl. When the potatoes are cooked, tip them into the egg mixture (don’t be tempted to pour the egg on top of the potatoes - because it starts to cook too quickly) and mix thoroughly.

Return the pan to the heat and add remaining oil. When hot pour in the mixture and reduce heat to low again. Cook for about 20 minutes without stirring until there is virtually no raw egg left on the surface.

Then either tip the tortilla onto a plate and reverse it back into the pan, or put under a medium grill for a few minutes until golden brown.

Try these ideas with 5 large eggs – or 6 or 7 smaller ones:

• 100g potatoes, 70 g frozen peas, thawed, 1 medium onion, sliced, plus some grated Parmesan
• 400 g potatoes, 350 g frozen grilled vegetables, thawed (you could also add a tbsp or two of Pesto or sun-dried tomato paste to the egg mixture and/or some chopped ham etc.)
• 150 g potatoes, an onion, a red and a yellow pepper, diced and a courgette, thinly sliced
• 12 oz of spinach, stalks removed, wilted in a little garlic oil, cooked to evaporate some water and then well drained too, 85 g of finely grated Emmental and a pinch of nutmeg
• 3 courgettes, grated, 10 g of fresh mint, chopped 150 g of Feta cheese, crumbled (you could add a thinly sliced, fried, chicken breast to this too if you like)

I’ve also tried baked frittatas which are dead easy and don’t need so much attention. This might be easier for you if you’re trying to juggle a few jobs, as us women normally are!

I'm sure you'll think of lots of other egg recipes for picnics and have great fun experimenting.

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