Alethea
02-07-2008, 08:13 AM
So these recipes (recipe may be a bit of a stretch) are decidedly not healthy and are not they for those who don't like visible yolks or soft eggs, but as someone who would choose a poached egg for my last meal, I feel compelled to post them. They are both fabulous for what they are and are super easy. I have some notes at the bottom of each recipe, as I scaled these down (my husband being in the no-visible-yolks camp) and combined some steps.
Eggs with cream, spinach, and country ham
Gourmet
8 servings
You'll return again and again to this recipe since it can be assembled in advance and delivers serious flavor. The scent of ham gently permeates the eggs, whose yolks can be broken into the rest of the dish or dipped into with biscuits, while the mineral notes of the creamed spinach proclaim its freshness.
Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced country ham, finely chopped
Scant 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
10 ounces spinach, coarse stems discarded
8 large eggs
Equipment: 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or ovenproof teacups
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Bring ham and cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat. Let steep, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning with tongs, until spinach is wilted.
Drain spinach in a colander, pressing to remove excess liquid, then coarsely chop. Divide spinach, then ham, among ramekins, spooning 1 tablespoon cream into each serving. Crack eggs into ramekins and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Cut remaining tablespoon butter into 8 small pieces and dot each egg with butter.
Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 15 to 20 minutes, removing from oven as cooked.
Cooks' note: The eggs in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area.
My notes: I've also made these with mushrooms instead of ham and they were equally fantastic. If you're a fan of eggs with tomatoes, I imagine they'd work well too. You can also simplify the ham/cream/spinach steps. The second time I made these I sauteed the ham, added the spinach, and when it was wilted added a slug of cream and let everything rest for a 15 minutes so the flavors could meld and then put everything in the ramekin. I baked mine for a bit longer than called for to get the white cooked, but they do go quickly toward the end. I think you could also use half-and-half; it might not look as pretty but would still be plenty rich.
Poached egg crostone with wilted spinach and bacon
Bon Appetit
4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 16-ounce oval-shaped loaf country white sourdough bread
8 thick bacon slices
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 10-ounce bag fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Parmesan cheese shavings
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine 1 cup olive oil and next 3 ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes to release flavors. Remove from heat. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
Using large serrated knife, trim off crust from top and sides of bread, leaving bottom crust intact to form rectangle-shaped loaf. Quarter trimmed loaf crosswise, forming 4 thick rectangular pieces. Cut deep nest in 1 piece, leaving 1/2-inch border on all 4 sides and 3/4-inch-thick base. Pull out bread center. Repeat with remaining bread pieces; reserve centers for another use. Place hollowed-out bread pieces on small baking sheet. Brush bread all over with olive oil mixture. Bake until bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool bread; maintain oven temperature.
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté 2 minutes. Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Fill 12-inch-diameter skillet with water to within 1/2 inch of top. Add vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Break 1 egg into small custard cup, being careful to keep yolk intact. Gently slide egg into boiling water; repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer until eggs are softly cooked, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill each bread hollow with spinach; top with bacon, breaking bacon slices in half to fit. Place in oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Place 1 bread on each of 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, place 1 poached egg atop each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Top with Parmesan; serve immediately.
My notes: I scaled this down to a single serving and I didn't really follow the instructions for the herbed oil. I just warmed about 2 tablespoons of oil and added a minced garlic clove, approximately 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and a pinch of red pepper and let everything sit for 15 minutes. That was plenty for brushing on the bread and sauteeing the spinach. I also don't use vinegar when poaching eggs, just my preference.
Eggs with cream, spinach, and country ham
Gourmet
8 servings
You'll return again and again to this recipe since it can be assembled in advance and delivers serious flavor. The scent of ham gently permeates the eggs, whose yolks can be broken into the rest of the dish or dipped into with biscuits, while the mineral notes of the creamed spinach proclaim its freshness.
Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced country ham, finely chopped
Scant 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
10 ounces spinach, coarse stems discarded
8 large eggs
Equipment: 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or ovenproof teacups
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Bring ham and cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat. Let steep, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning with tongs, until spinach is wilted.
Drain spinach in a colander, pressing to remove excess liquid, then coarsely chop. Divide spinach, then ham, among ramekins, spooning 1 tablespoon cream into each serving. Crack eggs into ramekins and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Cut remaining tablespoon butter into 8 small pieces and dot each egg with butter.
Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 15 to 20 minutes, removing from oven as cooked.
Cooks' note: The eggs in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area.
My notes: I've also made these with mushrooms instead of ham and they were equally fantastic. If you're a fan of eggs with tomatoes, I imagine they'd work well too. You can also simplify the ham/cream/spinach steps. The second time I made these I sauteed the ham, added the spinach, and when it was wilted added a slug of cream and let everything rest for a 15 minutes so the flavors could meld and then put everything in the ramekin. I baked mine for a bit longer than called for to get the white cooked, but they do go quickly toward the end. I think you could also use half-and-half; it might not look as pretty but would still be plenty rich.
Poached egg crostone with wilted spinach and bacon
Bon Appetit
4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 16-ounce oval-shaped loaf country white sourdough bread
8 thick bacon slices
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 10-ounce bag fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Parmesan cheese shavings
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine 1 cup olive oil and next 3 ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes to release flavors. Remove from heat. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
Using large serrated knife, trim off crust from top and sides of bread, leaving bottom crust intact to form rectangle-shaped loaf. Quarter trimmed loaf crosswise, forming 4 thick rectangular pieces. Cut deep nest in 1 piece, leaving 1/2-inch border on all 4 sides and 3/4-inch-thick base. Pull out bread center. Repeat with remaining bread pieces; reserve centers for another use. Place hollowed-out bread pieces on small baking sheet. Brush bread all over with olive oil mixture. Bake until bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool bread; maintain oven temperature.
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté 2 minutes. Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Fill 12-inch-diameter skillet with water to within 1/2 inch of top. Add vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Break 1 egg into small custard cup, being careful to keep yolk intact. Gently slide egg into boiling water; repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer until eggs are softly cooked, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill each bread hollow with spinach; top with bacon, breaking bacon slices in half to fit. Place in oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Place 1 bread on each of 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, place 1 poached egg atop each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Top with Parmesan; serve immediately.
My notes: I scaled this down to a single serving and I didn't really follow the instructions for the herbed oil. I just warmed about 2 tablespoons of oil and added a minced garlic clove, approximately 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and a pinch of red pepper and let everything sit for 15 minutes. That was plenty for brushing on the bread and sauteeing the spinach. I also don't use vinegar when poaching eggs, just my preference.