12 ways to make fancy eggs

There's no need to break the bank to feel like you're dining out.

Mark O'Meara

There are few comforts greater than a gooey-yolked boiled egg served with hot, buttered soldiers on the side. Whether for young or old, during day or night, this simple dish provides pure pleasure (and sneaks in some sustenance to boot).

But eggs can and do deliver much more. From being regally regaled with fresh truffle, or attending whispers of smoked salmon, or being baked into a dish full of winter warmth, the humble egg can actually come across as rather posh.

Here chefs share a dozen goog ideas that transform eggs into the star attraction.

Breakfast charcuterie

Simon Winfield from the Tommy Collins Group likes to turn what is essentially a lunch dish into a breakfast winner, with cured meats the hero. Fry off whatever cold cuts you have in the fridge - mortadella, salami, ham all work a treat - add some halved tomatoes, torn herbs and a spoonful of wholegrain mustard to the pan. Serve with crusty bread and poached eggs. "All these flavours work well together, and uses the egg to sauce the dish," he says. "Who doesn't like charcuterie!"

Baked eggs with wild greens

"The key to this dish is Aleppo pepper," says Shane Delia of SBS's Spice Journey. "The other is sucuk. There's so much flavour in this Turkish sausage." Sucuk (pronounced sujuk) is a cured, spiced beef sausage available from Middle Eastern food shops and butchers. While you could simply serve some fried eggs with sucuk and some almonds for "a killer brekkie", it's even better used to flavour garlicbraised cavalo nero and silverbeet that becomes the bed in a baking dish for whole eggs then cooked in the oven. Serve with crusty bread and yoghurt.

Spice temple

"I first came across kedgeree during my travels in India, but cooked it many times in Glasgow," says Daniel Blencowe of Adelaide's New Local Eatery. Traditionally an Indian spiced breakfast dish of rice, boiled eggs and smoked haddock, Daniel likes making it with smoked Coorong mullet and a poached duck egg, but making it with hen eggs and smoked salmon works equally well.

Onsen eggs

"The slow cooking gives the egg, both the yolk and white, a silky texture," says Perry Schagen of Supernormal in Melbourne. "Onsen egg is traditionally cooked in the Japanese hot springs at a low temperature." To emulate, bring 1 litre of water in a small pot to the boil. Add eggs, cover with lid and remove from heat. After 13 mins, remove, peel the top and gently tap until the egg slides out. Serve with dashi sauce seasoned with soy and mirin.

Sensational scrambled

Brett Hobbs from Glovers Station and soon-to-open Saint Martin's has one key piece of advice for breakfast: "It's supposed to be easy, so don't overcomplicate things."

For his perfect scrambled eggs, whisk four whole eggs with 165ml cream and salt to taste. Melt 15g butter in a pan over medium heat, and add egg mix, folding regularly. Add finely sliced chives as the egg starts to come together along with crumbled goat's cheese. For a spicy version, add a finely sliced red chilli to the pan and fry slightly in the butter before adding the egg and cream mix. For a fried version, add one finely diced red chilli to 1 tbsp melted butter in a pan. Add eggs, season with salt and fry until edges crisp. Serve on grilled sourdough.

Basket impress

Camillo Crugnale of Adelaide's Italiano Ristorante has a great idea for turning last night's pork roast into tomorrow's fab brunch that's easy and delicious - porchetta baskets. Brush a muffin/ cupcake tray with oil and line with finely sliced pork (or porchetta, which is available at continental delis). Crack an egg into each and add 1 tsp mascarpone and finely chopped herbs. Season and cook in a moderate oven for 8-10 mins, depending on how you like your eggs.

Salty crisps

Quentin Whittle of The Grace in Adelaide says crispy fried eggs - also known as son-inlaw eggs - are a favourite. Cook eggs in the shell from room temperature for 5 mins in a pan on a rolling boil, then refresh under cold water for 2 mins. Peel, dry, then fry in a hot wok of oil until golden - usually 2-3 mins. "When it is properly fried it should be super crisp on the outside and the yolk runny," he says.

"We then coat the fried egg in a masterstock caramel and house-made furikake (Japanese seasoning mix) and serve with a shiitake mushroom and ginger congee. It's delicious!"

Alternatively, take this technique and apply different flavours. Give the egg a Middle Eastern vibe by serving it with some roasted nuts, labne and sumac. Or some Thai style with prik nam pla and chilli jam.

Truffle trophy

While they are the ultimate lux accessory for eggs, truffles are not out of reach for the special occasion breakfast as you only need a few grams per serve - and it's an indulgence that's hard to beat. To get extra mileage out of your nugget of black gold, place the truffle in an airtight container with eggs overnight, and the powerful perfume will infuse the eggs further.

Andy Harmer from The Point says truffled scrambled duck eggs, served with pancetta on sourdough, is the perfect platform to let the truffle shine.

Whisk two duck eggs with 1 tbsp of creme fraiche and a pinch of good salt. Gently warm in a non-stick pan with a knob of butter, stirring continually until the eggs start to cook. As the eggs start to come together, add 1 tsp finely chopped chives and micro-plane the desired amount of truffle. Gently fold in and serve on toasted sourdough with cayenne pepper. "Patience and good seasoning will make this dish stand out," he says. "You can add truffles to pretty much any egg dish and the end result will be outstanding."

Turkish delight

Joel Alderson from the Hotel Windsor fondly remembers cilbir, or Turkish poached eggs in yoghurt, that was cooked for him by friend Coskun Uysal. "So simple and minimal, but such amazing and comforting flavours. I now see that he has them on the menu at his new restaurant, Tulum," he says.

To create cilbir at home, mash together garlic and salt using a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste, then stir in yoghurt and tahini. Melt butter to a golden colour, remove from heat and add Aleppo pepper, turmeric and a pinch of salt. Poach eggs in boiling water and once cooked, place on top of a generous dollop of yoghurt. Drizzle melted butter over the top and serve with lightly oiled toast on the side.

Something spaetzli

"This is the perfect dinner party dish to impress friends," says Hellenic Hotel's Josh Pelham of this smoked egg dish. "Smoking the egg as it is being served gives the dish an extra layer of flavour."

To smoke eggs, place smoking apple wood chips into a tray with poached eggs, and cover for seven minutes. Meanwhile, caramelise shallots and garlic in butter until nut brown, add spaetzle (a soft European egg noodle) and slippery jack mushrooms - plus a touch of brandy. Serve with the smoked eggs and wagyu bresaola.

Shak attack

"Shakshuka is a real winter warmer," Pink Moon Saloon's Matt Standen says of this North African dish. In a shallow, heavy-based pan with olive oil, fry onions, capsicum, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Add tomato sauce and parsley, then crack in 4-6 free-range eggs. Season and simmer until eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve with grilled pita.

"You can add whatever flavours you like to this dish," Matt says. "Persian feta, jalapeno, chorizo. For Italian style, just leave out the spice and add basil, mozzarella or parmesan to finish."

Terrific torilla

A Spanish omelet is a great comfort dish, says chef Dioni Flanagan. "I went to a cooking class in Spain and learnt the Catalan way."

Take 500g peeled potatoes cut into 1cm rounds. Along with a chopped onion, add potato to a large frying pan that has 150ml heated extra virgin olive oil and gently stew, partially covered, for 30 mins or until potatoes have softened. Strain excess oil off and set aside. Add 6 whisked eggs, parsley and seasoning to potatoes, then add the mixture to a warmed cast iron pan. Using a spatula to shape the omelet into a cushion, cook over medium heat.

When almost set, invert on to a plate and slide back into the pan for a few more minutes. Repeat the process twice more, keeping the cushion shape. Slide on to a plate and leave to sit for 10 minutes, then serve with sliced meats and cheese. "Catalonians will eat this omelet almost every day," Dioni says.