Easter has many culinary traditions associated with it, some biblical, such as the Paschal lamb, some related to pagan times.

At this time of year I boil them and serve them on a purée of fresh broad beans inside a nest of cucumber ribbons; a pale green and yellow dish for spring- Frances Bissell

Indeed, the word Easter comes from the old Norse Eostre, the name of the goddess of springtime and fertility, hence the eggs and the Easter bunny. In fact, it was a hare, the German Osterhase. But there are other explanations for the tradition of eggs at Easter.

In medieval times, when infants were baptised at Easter, to compensate for the privations they had endured during the previous 40 days of Lent, they were given eggs and almond milk as extra special nourishment; and of course, eggs would be plentiful. We may have given up eggs for Lent, but the chickens did not stop laying them.

How to read your Easter egg, and others: The hens’ eggs we buy all have numbers and letters stamped in red which might look like a piece of meaningless jargon, but it is worth familiarising oneself with the code. The first numeral, 0 to 3 indicates the following: 0 = organic; 1 = free range; 2 = barn reared and 3 = cage-reared, that is, eggs from battery hens, although since January, the preferred term is ‘enriched colony cages’, now that the EU has insisted on a stocking density of no more than nine birds per square metre.

The next two letters of the code indicate the country of origin, such as MT. The last numeric code identifies the place of origin, down to the number of the building on the farm in which the bird that laid the egg is housed.

Sometimes the date of laying is given, sometimes the recommended date of consumption. The code will tell you much more than pictures on the box of happy chickens running around the farmyard.

In Xagħra, we are lucky enough to have neighbours who rear chickens and occasionally present us with a batch of freshly-laid eggs. There is no greater treat.

Really delicious eggs such as these are best used as the main focus of a dish. One of my favourites, combined with Gozo vegetables, is based on the Spanish dish, pisto manchego, a bright stew of onions, peeled red peppers and tomatoes, cooked down almost to a rich sauce in which three or four eggs are then poached.

Some fresh ħobża and a glass of Meridiana’s Nexus turns this into a feast. A similar dish in which eggs play a starring role is the Burgundian oeufs en meurette, in which the eggs are poached in a red wine sauce, flavoured with lardons of smoked bacon. Chunks of pancetta and a local red wine can replace the French ingredients.

With bread, toast, pastry, pasta, potatoes and other staples, eggs combine to make the most satisfying inexpensive and easy-to-cook dishes. Think of poached egg on toast. Think again, and top it with a little cream mixed with grated cheese, or place it on top of a few fried mushrooms.

Consider all the versions of egg Benedict; poached egg with ham and hollandaise in its original version, with spinach and hollandaise in a classic egg Florentine, even with smoked salmon. One more favourite poached egg dish I learned in Spain from chef Elena Arzak, in which the egg is wrapped in cling film, enabling you to add other ingredients.

Another Spanish chef, Jose Valdespino Romero, at Val de Pepe in Jerez, uses the technique to stuff the eggs with prawns. Very smart. Very tasty. I recommend it.

And don’t forget about quail eggs. If you have time and inclination, they can be turned into all manner of very neat and appealing appetisers and first courses: fried and served with tiny young asparagus spears; poached and served on miniature muffins as eggs Benedict; boiled, shelled and served in a sauce in a nest of green tagliolini, as well as salad garnishes.

But quail eggs are not a good idea for large numbers, unless you pile them, hard boiled, in a basket, hand round seasoned salt, and let your guests help themselves and shell their own eggs. Quail eggs for two to four is a manageable plan; for six or more, it is asking for trouble, unless you have someone to help you. At this time of year I boil them and serve them on a purée of fresh broad beans inside a nest of cucumber ribbons; a pale green and yellow dish for spring.

Sometimes I fry them and serve them on a slice of grilled black pudding, with a relish of slow-cooked peeled red peppers. Not long ago we enjoyed a more substantial first course at the Phoenicia Hotel, where executive chef Bernd Maier had combined quail eggs with the rest of the quail in a salad, combining the sweet-sour flavours and crunch of pickled carrots and braised fennel; definitely one to be tried at home, and I have modified the recipe for domestic use.

This is a very elegant dish for Easter entertaining. A bottle of chilled Isis will be a perfect match, as indeed, it would be for most of my egg dishes. So too would a chilled fino.