Oh eggs, you betray me

I have completed my 16 Hours of One Zoom Meeting challenge (with a sidebar of an hour out to present at a webinar, also on Zoom). It was a productive and collegiate effort, but nonetheless you will understand why I did basically all my cooking for the week by Tuesday evening. I have occasionally tottered away from the screen to, eg, microwave some soup, but it has not been a good week for Wednesday creativity.

But tonight, I had to cook, I'm down to one lunch leftovers. I'd scheduled an egg dish for dinner, because eggs are easy and quick, right? 

Ahahaha no I have scheduled Anglesey Eggs, the egg equivalent of moussaka. One that needs 15 pans at once and then the oven. I am an IDIOT.

However, it is quite nice. Quicker than moussaka too. And I do feel better for fiddling around with cookery instead of sitting over a laptop, so perhaps it wasn't the worst idea. 

This is not a relaxed kitchen setup.

Firstly, hardboil some eggs. Allegedly, by bringing water to boil with eggs in, and then turning it out and leaving them to sit in it for 9 minutes. I just boiled the damn things. Not least as further down the list you need to boil some potatoes cut into chunks, for about 10-12 mins. I just fished the eggs out after about 8 minutes and saved one headache. Phew. (Secondly - cook those spuds and drain.)

Thirdly, slice and sweat off some leek - I used about 1.5 as I've got loads lying about, but in theory only 1 is needed. 

Fourthly, chop some herbs (parsely, tarragon were good but either might be plenty) and grate some cheese.

Fifthly (*sigh*), mix your leeks and coarsely mashed potatoes. 

Sixthly, make a white sauce and add half your cheese. This should have been cheddar or caerphilly but I had some leftover Gruyere and parmesan open and no cheddar (oops). 

I mean, okayyyy?

Seventhly (*cries*), take a baking dish and layer up. Bottom layer is the potato/leek mash, in which you plant the eggs, scatter over the herbs, pour over the cheese sauce, top it with the remaining cheese plus breadcrumbs. (I have breadcrumbs in the fridge and I just couldn't face getting them out. I am a broken cook.)

Eighthly, into the oven on hottish (210C), 15-20 minutes. 

Messy - I had some creme fraiche leftover and forgot to stir it into the white sauce. Exceptionally piebald topping here, without breadcrumbs to disguise

As I say, it's really quite nice. Even halfarsedly made by someone partly asleep and not in the mood. But if I'm honest, I'd probably say cheesy creamed leeks on toast or a baked potato would do the job. With an egg, if you want one. Still, I will tick it off my list in New Kitchen Basics as having been tried and done. 

I recommend washing up while it cooks because I didn't and now my kitchen is awful but I'm really full and sleepy even though it's early. So many pans, even with shortcuts. Zzzzzzz.