Anglesey Eggs

Being Anglesey born and bred this dish intrigued me.  Growing up I had never heard of it. Only recently did I see it in a book of local recipes and it made an appearance when the Hairy Bikers visited the island. Whether its actually a traditional dish or not it a really tasty comfort food for those cold and wet summer months! 

Ingredients
8 free range eggs
600g potatoes, peeled, chopped
6 leeks, (about 500g trimmed), thinly sliced
150g salted Welsh butter, plus extra for greasing
50g plain flour
400ml milk
3 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp vegetarian Worcester sauce
250g Caerphilly cheese, (or any mild cheddar) grated
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 220C.  Grease an ovenproof dish with butter.

Place the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the eggs cook for a further 15 minutes. 

In a large frying pan melt 50g of butter over a medium heat and gently sauté the leeks. Turn the heat down to low and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes until the leeks are really soft but not brown.

Fill another large pan with salted water and being to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain well. 

In a large bowl add 50g of butter to the potatoes and mash well. Then stir in the leeks. 

Season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper and a little more salt if needed. Set aside but keep warm. 

Next melt 50g of butter in a pan over a low heat. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is thick and well combined. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking continuously, until all of the milk has been incorporated into the mixture. Add the mustard powder and Worcester sauce and season, to taste. Stir in 200g of cheese until melted. Continue to cook on a low heat until the sauce thickens.

Spoon the mashed potatoes and leeks into the bottom of the prepared ovenproof dish, pressing down to form an even layer.  Arrange the quartered hard boiled eggs on top as tightly together as possible so that all the potato is covered.

Pour over the cheese sauce. Then sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese. 

Place the dish onto a baking tray to catch any drips. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling.