Special Omelette

Today we are going to direct our attention to this little creature: the black-headed sea-gull.


(Source: http://users.rcn.com/becard/AK%2707-%20Black-headed%20Gull%20(JH)-1.jpg)

This 35-40something cm tall creature makes some very special eggs which are the main ingredients for the world's most expensive (so they say) omelette, served in a central London restaurant, Boisdale. They charge 90 pounds for the dish, but it is a really rare, seasonal treat.

(Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01374/eggs_1374173c.jpg)

The oldest restaurant in London, Rules, who has served meals to famous people over the time, such as Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, H.G. Wells and Charles Dickens, also boasts with these eggs on their menu. Hard-boiled eggs are served, for example, with celery.

So what is it, that makes them so special? First of all, they are seasonal: 3-4 weeks a year (April to May). Second, they are limited by law: only around 40.000 eggs are sold each year, so really scarce! And to collect them, you need a special licence, which is also difficult to get (given, for example, by DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from the UK Government). Finally, the taste seems to be amazing and surprisingly un-oceanic, the flavour is subtle and the omelette made of these eggs is very light and fluffy.

I have missed this year's season, but will surely have my gull's omelette next year in London with someone special.