SWEET EGG LAMPREY
(Portuguese Christmas dessert from "Beira Litoral": Lampreia de Ovos)
Lampreia de ovosPreparation
1 - Heat the sugar with 3 dl of water and let boil until the syrup bubbles (thread stage, around 103°).
2 - Break 36 eggs to obtain the yolks; strain the yolks. 3 - Two by two, spoon the egg yolks into the syrup; they will form a kind of flat egg "sheet". Remove the egg "sheet" and drain on a sieve. Repeat the operation until you have used all the 36 egg yolks.
4 - Peel and grate the almonds and add to the syrup left after you have finished the egg yolk operation. Stir well and add the other 14 egg yolks. Take again to the heat, stirring continuously, until you see the bottom of the pan.
5 - Remove from heat and give to this egg paste the shape of a rolled lamprey. Cover with the egg "sheets". To imitate the teeth, use 2-3 peeled almonds; for the eyes, use 2 crystallized cherries.
6 - Let it brown in a hot oven for a few minutes, imitating the spotted skin of the lamprey.
Handy Hint: Instead of putting into the oven, you can also imitate the spots with a red-hot iron.
7 - Beat an egg white with sugar until it gets stiff and decorate the lampreia de ovos with very thin sugar threads as shown in the above picture.
Handy Hint: You may use instead egg yolk threads for decorating.Source: Friends
