A posh version of a childhood favourite of mine…  The original version is made with a soft boiled egg.  My mum then used to cut a slice of bread in sticks, which she used to call “soldiers” to be dipped into the runny egg yolk…

Today’s version is made with a poached egg rather than soft boiled, and with bread sticks wrapped and baked with the bacon around it.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• 8 slices of bacon
• 2 slices of multigrain bread
• pepper, salt & parsley

Method:

First bring water to the boil with the vinegar.  Once boiling, cover with a lid and sit aside.

Cut off the edge of the bacon (if required), and cut the bread into 4 breadsticks per slice.  Then wrap the bacon gently around the breadsticks.  Heat up a frying pan, and bake the breadsticks wrapped in bacon, on both sides, till the bacon is crispy.  Then take off the heat.

Bring the water back to simmering heat, and make a whirlpool with a whisk.  Break an egg in a small cup, and toss it into the whirlpool.   Leave to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, then lift out the poached egg and leave to drain on a clean tissue.

Place the breadsticks into a deep plate, and add the poached egg onto the breadsticks.  Season with pepper, salt and some parsley.