Poached egg with mushrooms a la Grecque and olive oil crisps

For the mushrooms, place the olive oil, garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves and chilli flakes in a saucepan over a medium heat to warm through. Once hot and the aromatics are sizzling, add the mushrooms and lemon zest, then continue to cook for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, then stir in the lemon juice and set aside for at least 30 minutes. For the best flavour, make the mushrooms the day before and leave them to infuse overnight

For the olive oil crisps, place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until they form a smooth batter. Place a wide non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, then pour in enough batter so that it covers the whole pan. As it sizzles and reduces, you will be left with a lacy golden pancake – once it is evenly coloured, carefully peel it off the pan and onto some kitchen paper to drain and cool

When nearly ready to serve, place a saucepan over a medium heat and pour in enough water so it is roughly 10-15cm deep. Add the white wine vinegar and, once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Crack the eggs into the water (or into a cup first if you prefer), then allow to cook at a steady boil for 2 minutes. Carefully drain onto kitchen paper then season with salt and pepper

To serve, mix the chives into the mushrooms and place a pile of them in the centre of each bowl. Top with a poached egg, then finish with shards of the lacy pancake. Serve with some crusty bread alongside to mop up the mushroom-infused olive oil