Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs

When I was single Buckingham Eggs was my regular “Spinster Saturday” treat.  I love this stuff.  Anchovies. Mmmm. Eggs.  Mmmmm.  Cheese.  Mmmmm. 

I was on my lonesome most of the weekend before Easter, and I had a bit of a trip down memory lane to those Saturdays. I made the anchovy/butter/mustard paste with the anchovies left over from Vincent Price’s Racquet Club Vinegar and made me a big plateful of Buckingham Eggs.  I had a whole Saturday to write as Mr R was working.  In theory I was getting my head down for Camp Nanowrimo, in practice I was messing up the kitchen and watching Mad Men.  Just like in the old days of spinsterdom.

Nanowrimo is National Novel Writing Month which happens every November – people all over the world lock themselves away and try and write a novel (albeit a shortish one) over the month.  I’ve done it a couple of times, it’s great fun.  Camp Nanowrimo is Nanowrimo-Lite and happens in April.  This April I am supposed to be working on the Joan Crawford Cookbook…  Well I am, sort of. 

When I checked to see if I already had Vincent’s recipe typed up on my computer I stumbled upon the “novel” I had written during Nanowrimo in 2011, entitled Flat Swap.  I had forgotten all about it.  It stinks of course, because I write fiction like a girl at a primary school, but it’s good fun looking back on it.  Part of the plot involved my main protagonist writing a cookbook for single women called “Miss Dine Alone”.  I think this was partly so I could get my word count up by including recipes (the goal is to write 50,000 words in a month).  I am so sly.  I just wanted to get my WINNERS badge.

So anyhow, here’s an extract from the “novel” where I’ve slightly adapted Vincent’s recipe so that it serves one.  The only change I’ve made to Vincent’s classic ingredients is the addition of some Worcestershire sauce because for me, this is the finishing touch to all eggy breakfasts.

I am channeling Delia Smith here (her “One Is Fun” cookbook was my friend in those spinster days)

and I would write it differently now (“separate receptacle” anyone?!) but I blame it on my character.  It is her writing this, not me…

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This is a posh version of scrambled eggs on toast and very good if you have a hangover.  I don’t know why eggs are so craveable when you have a hangover but these are particularly satisfying as there are little fishies involved too.  You get a big punchy, salty hit from the anchovies.  This will make you drink about a gallon of water, which, as we all know, is what you really need when you have a hangover.  You can actually leave out all of these ingredients except the bread, butter and eggs – but then you’ve just got scrambled eggs on toast and that’s not as much fun is it?

Bread

Butter

Anchovy paste

Eggs

Cheddar Cheese

English mustard

Cream

Spring onion or tiny amount of onion to your taste

Worcestershire sauce

Stick your oven on low or if you don’t have a toaster, put the grill on. 

Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 tablespoon cream, tiny pinch of salt, little bit of ground pepper and one spring onion chopped into tiny bits (just the nice white end and a bit of the green). 

In a separate receptacle grate a little bit of cheddar cheese to sprinkle on the top when everything is done.

Cream together 1/4 tablespoon butter, 1/4 tablespoon anchovy paste and 1/8 teaspoon English mustard.  Toast a slice of bread to your liking and spread it with the above mixture.  Keep it warm in your oven / under your now switched off grill while you make the eggs.

Get your tiny one person saucepan (or double boiler if you have one) and melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter then pour in the beaten egg mixture.  Stir your eggs with a beaten spoon until they are looking almost done (they will keep cooking for a tiny bit after you take them off the heat so don’t go mad).  Pile up your eggs on top of the anchovy toast, sprinkle over the cheddar cheese and shake over some Worcestershire sauce.  Scoff.