Clarence Court: the best British eggs
There’s more to eggs than just yolk and white. We look at five different types of British eggs produced by Cornwall-based Clarence Court, and explain when you should be using each one in your cooking.
A little bit about Clarence Court
You’ve probably spotted Clarence Court eggs already – they come in bright, pastel-coloured boxes and are undoubtedly more expensive than a regular pack of supermarket-own free range eggs. But the price is justified: Clarence Court eggs only come from heritage bird breeds (such as Burford Brown) which lay eggs with a richer yolk; the company sticks to a ‘range enrichment programme’ to encourage their birds to range further; and their hens are only expected to lay 180 eggs a year compared to the 280 average for free range hens.
It’s a family-run business, and as well as rare breed hen’s eggs (which are laid all over the country), Clarence Court also sells duck, quail and seasonal eggs, all of which are produced on their speciality farm in West Cornwall. The Clarence Court range includes 14 different types of egg, ranging from Cotswold Legbar hen’s eggs to ostrich eggs and pickled eggs. They’re also in league with top chefs such as Mark Hix, who has created some delicious recipes using Clarence Court eggs.
Old Cotswold Legbar hen eggs
These eggs come with a pretty pale blue shell, and inside is an incredibly rich and creamy yolk with a distinctively dense flavour. They’re in season all year round and because of their ‘upstanding’ yolks which will stay domed even in a hot pan, Old Cotswold Legbars are the best eggs to fry. They also make good poached eggs and are recommended for use in everything from custard tarts to crème Anglaise.
Price: around £2.15 for six (35.8p per egg)
Braddock White duck eggs
Ducks produce far lighter egg yolks than their hen counterparts, with a creamier aftertaste. The egg shell is ivory white and they tend to be larger than hen’s eggs. If you’re a baker, then duck eggs are for you: their dainty yolk makes them perfect for light and airy cakes, and by the same token they’re ideal for meringue and crème brulees. What’s more, they supposedly make the best omelettes in the world.
You can easily substitute duck eggs in for hen eggs, especially when a recipe calls for a ‘large egg’.
Price: around £2.25 for six (37.5p per egg)
Bantam egg
Bantams are a rare, ancient breed of hen (explorer Marco Polo wrote about them in his journals) which produces blue-shelled eggs similar to the Cotswold Legbar hen eggs, but smaller. The yolk to egg white ratio is 50/50 (much higher than a standard hen’s egg) and the yolk is intensely dark in colour.
Their richness makes Bantam eggs ideal for scrambling, and as a rule of thumb you should use them in recipes that don’t depend on egg white to give air and volume, but do require a strong yolk – quiches, for example. They’re also lovely soft boiled.
Price: around £1.89 for four (47p per egg)
Guinea Fowl egg
Encased in a thick, oatmeal-coloured shell, Guinea Fowl eggs sport a rich and flavoursome yolk, but are on the whole a rather elegant and delicate treat. Guinea Fowls, a noisy bird native to Africa, only lay 50-60 eggs per year and aren’t fussy where they lay them either, which makes collecting them a tricky job. They’re delicious both soft and hard boiled, are often used in salads, and make a great mayonnaise too.
You can use Guinea Fowl eggs in any recipe that calls for hen eggs – 10 Guinea Fowl eggs equals around seven hen eggs (they’re 30% smaller), so do bear that in mind.
Price: about £3.99 for four (£1 per egg)
Goose eggs
Clarence Court goose eggs are rich and creamy, and apparently perfect when soft-boiled with asparagus soldiers or shavings of truffles. They’re pretty big, too – one goose egg equates to 2.5 medium hen’s eggs.
One of the best ways to eat them is cracked into a tea cup and cooked in the oven for breakfast (‘en cocotte’), ideally shared between two – especially considering the astronomical price. Try slices of hard-boiled goose egg with buffalo mozzarella and beef tomatoes for a twist on the regular mozzarella and tomato salad.
Price: £6.99 each
Clarence Court eggs are available at supermarkets including Waitrose, Budgens and Morrisons, as well as stores such as Fortnum & Mason and Harrods. For a full list of retailers, click here.
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