Prep time:  20 mins | Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  30 mins | Serves: 4 - 5

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Ingredients

• 5 whole eggs

• 3–4 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle 

• 3 black garlic cloves

• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons of chopped chives and a few pinches of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes to sprinkle over the ready dish

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Instructions

1. Put 3 black garlic cloves in a mug, cover with boiling water and leave aside for 5-10 minutes.

2. Place your eggs in a pan, cover with cold water, bring it up to simmer and let boil for 10 minutes. You’re after hard boiled eggs with the egg yolk fully set. When done, drain the hot water from the pan and cover the eggs with cold water. Leave to cool down.

3. Peel the eggs and then gently slice each egg in half. Using a teaspoon, remove all egg yolks from egg whites into a small bowl. Do your best to keep the egg whites in tact.

4. Drain black garlic cloves (you can use this infused water in soups or sauces), which should turn softer and mushier by now, and smash them into a paste with a flat side of a wide knife. Then, using a spoon, push this paste through a very fine sieve.

5. Scrape the black garlic from the other side of the sieve into the bowl with egg yolks. Add olive oil, lemon juice, good pinch of salt and using a fork mash it all into a completely smooth paste. You might find it easier if you push this mixture through a very fine sieve, just like you did with the black garlic cloves. Adjust the seasoning to your taste with more lemon juice, salt and maybe even a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. 

6. Fill the egg whites (where the egg yolk used to be) with the yolk black garlic paste. I like to get a teaspoon of this paste and using my hands, roll a small ball, which I then push gently into the egg white. This paste can also be pipped in, but I find it easier and quicker when using the method above.

7. Sprinkle chives, cayenne pepper over and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.