Egg-Parma ham muffins

Egg-Parma ham muffins

These tasty small bakes make a nice light lunch served with a green side salad and whole wheat or rye bread.

2 servings

4 slices of Parma ham

4 eggs

Olive oil

A small handful of baby spinach leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh herbs to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Oil 4 muffin tin cavities with olive oil. Line each cavity with a slice of Parma ham.  Place some spinach leaves in the bottom. Crack 1 egg into each cavity and grind over some black pepper.

Bake for 10- 15 minutes until the egg whites are solidified. Sprinkle over some chopped fresh herbs.  

Egg-Parma ham muffins out of oven

La Plagne: La Grande Rochette and Roc du Bécoin loop from Belle Plagne

The summits immediately south of la Plagne Villages are actually  peaks on a long ridge starting from Roc du Diable in the east stretching to Mont Jovet (and beyond) in the west.

Starting from the upper part of Belle Plagne (2080 m), the easternmost of the villages, we ascended south along the main service road, then forked right after about 470 m now heading southwest along another dirt track. We walked under the Colosses chairlift and took a shortcut under its upper station. We reached a ski run and climbed south as far as to the ridge. We climbed further, heading west, to la Grande Rochette (2508 m) with a gondola lift upper station and a restaurant.

Leaving Belle Plagne

Near Colosses chairlift

Ascending to la Grande Rochette

Crête de la Grande Forcle

La Plagne Villages from la Grande Rochette

La Grande Rochette in background

Vanoise peaks seen from Roc des Verdons

Courchevel seen from Roc des Verdons

Roc des Verdons signpost

Nearing Roc du Bécoin summit

Summit of Roc du Bécoin

One hour to Belle Plagne

Maltese-style duck breast

The Maltese cuisine uses North African spices and flavours. This is understandable because the distance between Malta and Tunisia is only about 300 km across the sea.

The following recipe is inspired by a lunch in a Maltese restaurant in Mdina. The duck breast was coated with sesame seeds before frying. It was served on a bed of wilted spinach. Plum compote and star anise flavoured plum sauce were served on the side of the sliced breast. Ground coriander, cumin, and freshly pressed orange juice flavoured the compote and sauce. The  duck was served with roasted potatoes, but I think that cooked quinoa would also nicely compliment the dish.

This dish is perfect to make in autumn when plums are in season and we start craving for warm and spicier dishes.

2 servings

1 duck breast

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

A generous amount of baby spinach leaves

About 100 ml quinoa

1 tbsp. olive oil

For the plum compote and sauce:

About 6 dark plums

2 tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1 orange

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp? ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

3 star anises

Start by cooking the plum compote. In a saucepan, warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Remove the stones from the plums, chop them and place in the saucepan. Add  the coriander, cumin, and some black pepper and stir. Cook until the plums are reduced into a nice compote, then cover and set aside.

In another saucepan, warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over low heat. Add the pressed orange juice and the star anises and slowly simmer to infuse the spice.  Just before serving add about 1 tbsp. of the plum compote and whisk into a smooth sauce.

Cook the quinoa in 300 ml water for 25 minutes. Set aside and cover.

Criss-cross the duck breast the usual way on the fat side. Spread the sesame seeds on a plate and press the breast on the plate to make the seeds stick. Fry the breast over medium heat, first the fat side for 10 minutes, the flesh side for 8 minutes. Place on a carving board and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and quickly cook the spinach until wilted.

Presentation:

Divide the spinach in the centre of the plates and arrange the duck breast slices on top. Place about 1 tbsp. plum compote beside the duck  and divide the plum sauce on the other side. Serve the cooked quinoa, or roasted potatoes if you prefer them, in a separate dish.