A tartine of peas, pickled onions and egg

Pickled onions

1 cup (250 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Combine the first eight ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add the onion rings and bring liquid to a light boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender, but do not let the onions fall apart. Remove the onions and liquid, which by now will be pink, into a bowl and cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks.

Pea, pickled onion, avocado and egg tartine

serves 4

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for finishing
1/4 cup sliced leeks
1 clove garlic, minced
10 ounces fresh or frozen sweet peas (I used frozen)
3/4 teaspoon fine seal salt plus more for finishing
1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for finishing
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable stock or water if needed (since I used frozen peas I didn’t need any liquid)
8 slices of gluten-free bread
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup pickled red onions
Pea shoots, optional
4 soft-cooked eggs (see method below)

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, leeks and onions. Cook until tender but not brown. Add the peas, salt, pepper, coriander and cumin and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size (frozen ones cook a bit faster and they also release a bit of water, so adjust liquid if needed by adding vegetable stock).

Transfer the peas to a food processor and pulse until it turns to a very chunky puree. I like to keep some texture.

Toast the slices of bread. Spread some of the pea mash on top. Top with sliced avocado, pickled onions, soft-cooked eggs, pinch of salt, pinch of black pepper, pea shoots and olive oil.

Soft-cooked eggs

This is one of my favorite ways to cook eggs. It’s very simple.

Take the eggs out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes earlier if you can so they are not so cold. You can still make it when they are cold, but the time indicated here are for room temperature eggs.

Fill a small saucepan with about 4-inches of water and bring this to a boil over high heat. When the water begins to boil, make circular swirls in it with a spoon. Gently drop in the eggs and continue to swirl the egg around for a few seconds. This will ensure the yolk stays in the center.

Have a bowl with ice water ready.

Cook the eggs for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the boiling water and transfer into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking process. I don’t like my eggs too cold, so don’t leave them in the ice for too long. Gently crack the shell and peel. Cut the egg in half and you should have a perfectly cooked white and a soft yolk.