Lekker Brekker Monday: Olive oil-poached eggs with lavender and garlic

One of the advantages of being known to be a “foodie”, though that’s not a term I’m very fond of, is that people tend to know what you do for a living. And when they’re thinking, “What shall we get Tones for his birthday?”, their thoughts immediately go to food.

Let me be clear: I cannot afford most of the fancy olive oils that I’d prefer to use, so I, like most of you out there, tend to buy (relatively) cheap. Yes, of course there’s no such thing as cheap olive oil, but you know what I mean.

As if the four bottles of fine extra virgin olive oil that arrived on my birthday were not enough, I was also sent product by Tokara in Stellenbosch (and their exquisite aged balsamic vinegar), and award-winning versions by no less than De Rustica.

De Rustica is near De Rust, which is 35km from Oudshoorn just before the road carries you through Meiringspoort towards Klaarstroom and Prince Albert, unless you turn right towards Willowmore and on to Abeerdeen, Graaff-Reinet and ultimately Cradock. That’s our route home when going via Route 62.

When I chatted by phone to Rob Still, who owns De Rustica, last week, he told me he was sending me some of his olive oil. Their De Rustica Estate Collection Coratina had just been placed second overall in the annual Evooleum competition, the only estate outside of Italy and Spain to be ushered into the top 10. That was the 2024 edition of Coratina. He sent me the 2025 edition which he says he believes is even better.

Now, I don’t know if he’d be pleased or horrified that I have poached eggs in it. But if I just poured some over a salad it would seem like a missed opportunity to do something a little more profound with it, given its pedigree. Or just drink it…

And I did have a taste of it, pure and raw. The tasting notes on De Rustica’s website say you’re looking for green almond, artichoke and “peppery spice” when tasting. With this in mind, I’m planning a pasta dish this week using another birthday gift: a jar of artichokes with peppers, garlic and herbs. I’ll know more about that recipe once I’ve thought it through, so watch this space.

The eggs will not look anything like water-poached eggs, more like fried eggs in appearance.

I fried some slices of tomato to go alongside the eggs.

Tony’s olive oil-poached eggs with fried tomato on the side

Poaching the eggs in extra virgin olive with garlic and lavender. (Photo: Tony Jackman)