Coddled Eggs

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, but we're taking the mom in this house out for brunch.  Since there will be no elaborate breakfast served and as a consolation prize, I made Coddled Eggs for Carolyn this morning (eve of MD).  I had never made coddled eggs before, so this was somewhat of an experiment (that turned out beautifully).  The egg yolks were wonderfully runny and the whites soft but cooked through.  I served the eggs with hashbrown potatoes and naan (Indian flat bread) with butter and jam.

Before I get to the recipe, let' ask ourselves the question I did, before making breakfast:  "What are coddled eggs?"  In short, these are eggs that are very gently cooked, in water that is just below the boiling point.  See Wikipedia's description HERE. 

In my version, I used two small ramekin dishes in a covered pan.  I coated one with vegetable oil, but not the other.  The result of that experiment was that the eggs were identical.  You will find, after turning out the eggs, that bits of egg remains stubbornly attached to the sides and bottom of the ramekins.  Don't despair.  Simply use a soapy abrasive cleaning pad (i.e. one of those green pads) and the egg matter will come off easily.

There are other options beside ramekins:  Special coddling dishes (see photo below), although I just view this as just more stuff you don't know cluttering up your kitchen. 

4 eggs
vegetable or olive oil (optional)

Place ramekins in a pot and add water to 1/2" below the rim of the ramekin.  This is done just to correctly guage the amount of water to use in the pan. Remove ramekins.

Crack two eggs into each ramekin. (You can add salt and pepper at this point, or even herbs or spices, but I did not.)  Heat the water to boiling and reduce heat somewhat.  Add the ramekins with eggs and cover.  Cook for 6 (to 10) minutes.

Carefully remove the ramekins (careful! They will be hot) and turn out on pre-warmed plates.  Served with toast and whatever accompaniment you desire. 

Side note:  The 100 pleats on a French master chef's toque (hat) represent the 100 different ways that he knows to prepare eggs.  I have a long way to go.

Eggs ready to be placed in barely boiling water.

Special coddling dishes, if you have money to burn and space in your cabinet.

Carolyn liked it!

Chicken Tetrazzini

Click on images to view larger version.

This recipe makes use of lots of butter.  Not for the faint of heart.  On the flip side, it makes 12-servings.  You can always opt cut everything by half, but it takes just as long to prepare this meal.  The dish is almost creamy in texture and deliciously rich and flavorful.  Of course it is . . . it has more than a stick of butter in it! 

1 lb. cooked thin spaghetti
4 cups rotisserie chicken (i.e. one chicken), pulled off the bone and cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb. fresh mushroom, cleaned and sliced (an extra half lb. won't hurt)
9 or 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon parsley (dried or fresh, finely chopped)
1 tablespoon thyme, dried
4 cups    whole milk
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Butter a large (9" x 12") casserole dish.

In a 12” skillet, over medium heat, saute sliced mushrooms lightly in 1 or 2 tablespoons butter.  Mushrooms should be slightly limp.  Remove mushrooms from skillet, including any liquid.

Melt remaining butter in pan and stir in the flour.  Cook on a medium flame, stirring constantly.  Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Cook until bubbly.  Stir in the milk and continue cooking until the liquid thickens (stirring constantly).  Bring to a boil for one minute (turn up heat if necessary), stirring constantly.  Stir in the wine, chicken, and mushrooms and mix well.  Pour into casserole dish and cover with the cheese.  Bake in a 400ºF oven for 25 minutes and conclude by broiling so the top browns slightly.

Serve with garlic bread and a side dish of vegetables.  Or just eat it straight out of the casserole. 

Note:  Instead of garlic and onion powder, an option is to use 1 large onion, finely diced (or grated) and 5 cloves of garlic, minced.  Add at the end, with the mushrooms.

 

Slice mushrooms medium thickness.

Cook in 1 or 2 tablespoons butter until limp

Butter mixed with flour in skillet.  Stir continuously until bubbly.

12 servings.  Good for a crowd or lots of leftovers.  Reheat in microwave.  About 1.5 minutes for a serving or two.  Even better, melt a bit of butter and reheat in a skillet, covered.  At the end, crank up the heat to caramelize the bottom.