Anglesey Eggs or Wyau Ynys Môn

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A thick layer of mashed potatoes loaded with sweet, buttery leeks, a few hard-boiled eggs, topped with a creamy, unctuous Caerphilly and cheddar cheese sauce and a crispy, cheesy topping! A comforting, homely vegetarian meal which can be served for breakfast, lunch or supper. Delicious on its own or with fresh bread, bacon and/or sausages or even with a crisp salad or vegetables on the side. This economical meal is a fabulous way of using up mashed potatoes and can be made and in the oven in 15 minutes.

It was St David’s Day yesterday and I am celebrating with a week of Welsh recipes. Given that St David was a vegetarian, I should probably have posted this recipe for him, rather than a Beef and Ale Pie! However, I certainly can’t post a week of Welsh recipes without including leeks!

Anglesey is a small island in the Irish Sea off the th coast of North Wales, joined to the mainland by the famous Menai Bridge. Largely rural, it is a beautiful island with stunning beaches and is fast gaining a reputation as a Welsh hotspot for food tourism. It is also where you will find the famous little town Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Which, if you are interested, means Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

Unfortunately, I cannot share a history of the dish, as I do not know it and I cannot find one. However, it may be linked to Anglesey’s tradition of ‘Clapping for Eggs’ or ‘Clapio Wyau’. Children would go from farm to farm, reciting poems, singing and clapping using wooden clappers, to ask for eggs. Although this centuries old tradition had largely disappeared by the 1960s, it has recently been revived as an Easter version of trick or treat! Anglesey Eggs or Wyau Ynys Môn would certainly be a fabulous way of using up an abundance of eggs.

I have made this recipe traditionally, with hard boiled eggs. However, it is also fabulous, made and baked without the eggs, but served with a soft poached egg on top!

How to make Anglesey Eggs

I have used a mix of Caerphilly and cheddar cheese here. You could use just Caerphilly or even just cheddar cheese. Equally, you could swap them out for some other hard cheese, such as gruyere or Comté cheese. I’m not sure this could then legitimately be called ‘Anglesey’ eggs, but I promise you, it works a treat!

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the potato and leek layer –

• mashed potatoes
• leeks, cleaned and sliced
• unsalted butter
• eggs, hard boiled
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce –

• unsalted butter
• plain/all-purpose flour
• milk
• Caerphilly cheese
• cheddar cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping –

• breadcrumbs
• cheddar cheese
• Caerphilly cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

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How to make all three layers:

1. Start by preparing the potato and leek layer: trim, wash and slice the leeks. Make sure you wash them carefully; dirt or soil can find its way between the layers!
2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan and add the leeks. Cook on a medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until very soft and lightly caramelised.
3. When cooked, add to the mashed potatoes. Mix thoroughly and season to taste. The amount of salt and pepper needed will depend on how well seasoned the mashed potatoes are.
4. Spread into the base of a baking dish greased with butter.
5. Boil the eggs: boil the eggs whilst the leeks are cooking. Put the eggs into a saucepan in which they fit snugly. You want them to move around as little as possible. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering cook for 6 – 7 minutes. My eggs were quite large and I cooked them for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, drain and cover with cold water to prevent further cooking.
6. When cool enough to handle, remove the shells and slice in half.
7. Use a spoon to make an indent into the potato and leek mixture. Add the eggs into these indents and push to make a flattish surface.
8. Make the cheese sauce: whilst the leeks and eggs are cooking, make the sauce. Grate the cheese; separate the cheese you need for the sauce and the cheese you need for the topping and set aside.
9. Melt the butter and add the flour. Mix well and cook, stirring, over a moderate heat for 2 minutes.
10. Add the milk, all at once, and beat enthusiastically with a balloon whisk, over a moderate heat until the sauce thickens. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
11. Add the cheese set aside for the sauce, and continue to cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted. This should only take a minute or two.
12. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and then pour evenly over the eggs.
13. Cover with kitchen foil and cook in a pre-heated oven for:
    • 15 minutes, if cooking immediately, or
    • minutes, if the dish was prepared in advance and stored in the fridge.
14. The topping: mix the breadcrumbs, the grated cheese set aside for the topping and some seasoning.
15. Remove the dish from the oven, scatter over the breadcrumb mix and return to the oven, without the foil, for a further 20 – 30 minutes or until piping hot, golden brown and crispy.
16. To serve: either serve as it is or with some fresh bread, bacon and/or sausages or some salad or additional vegetables on the side.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.