Pace Eggs
This isn’t a recipes as such, but an old British tradition that can be boiled, eaten and enjoyed on Good Friday or throughout the Easter weekend. The name Pace is thought to have derived from the French word for Easter, Pâques. In some parts of Britain (mainly Lancashire) these eggs are rolled down a hill and the winner is the one that goes the furthest with the least cracks or breaks, another tradition is to give one of these eggs to each person who visits you over the Easter period. Today there are many commercial dyes available but some wonderful colours can be achieved by more traditional and natural methods. This is the method to use onion skins, but see the list below on how to achieve even more colours. These eggs can make a wonderful and healthier alternative to commercial chocolate eggs. Recipe inspired by Lavender and Lovage.
Ingredients
- 12 fresh organic eggs
- 6 -8 onion skins red and yellow
- aluminium aluminum foil
- natural non-coloured string
- butter optional
Instructions
- Peel the outer skins away from red and yellow onions.
- Wrap the skins around the eggs in a random way (or experiment for patterns like featured in our photograph) – you do not need to cover the egg completely.
- Encase the eggs with the onionskins in a piece of aluminium foil – covering completely, or tie pieces of non-coloured string around the eggs.
- Boil the eggs for about 5-7 minutes.
- Take off the heat and allow to cool in the water.
- Peel away the string, aluminium foil, onion skins and arrange the coloured eggs in a basket or egg holder – for the centre of the Easter Breakfast, Tea or Brunch table.
- You can “polish” the eggs with a bit of butter to deepen the colours and give them a gloss.
Notes
Alternative dyes to have fun with
Natural dyes can sometimes produce unexpected results, so don’t be surprised if, for example, your red-cabbage dye yields blue eggs. Use the following guide to help you achieve the colours you desire. Alternative colours via Martha Stewart.
Deep Gold: Boil eggs in turmeric solution, 30 minutes.
Sienna: Boil eggs in onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.
Dark, Rich Brown: Boil eggs in black coffee, 30 minutes.
Pale Yellow: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes.* Orange: Soak eggs in room-temperature onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.* Light Brown: Soak eggs in room-temperature black coffee, 30 minutes.* Light Pink: Soak eggs in room-temperature beet solution, 30 minutes.*
Light Blue: Soak eggs in room-temperature cabbage solution, 30 minutes.*
Royal Blue: Soak eggs in room-temperature cabbage solution overnight.*
Lavender: Soak eggs in room-temperature beet solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature cabbage solution, 30 seconds.*
Chartreuse: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature cabbage solution, 5 seconds.*
Salmon: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.* *Eggs will need cooking for consumption.
Sienna: Boil eggs in onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.
Dark, Rich Brown: Boil eggs in black coffee, 30 minutes.
Pale Yellow: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes.* Orange: Soak eggs in room-temperature onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.* Light Brown: Soak eggs in room-temperature black coffee, 30 minutes.* Light Pink: Soak eggs in room-temperature beet solution, 30 minutes.*
Light Blue: Soak eggs in room-temperature cabbage solution, 30 minutes.*
Royal Blue: Soak eggs in room-temperature cabbage solution overnight.*
Lavender: Soak eggs in room-temperature beet solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature cabbage solution, 30 seconds.*
Chartreuse: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature cabbage solution, 5 seconds.*
Salmon: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature onion-skin solution, 30 minutes.* *Eggs will need cooking for consumption.