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. 

Ensalda con Lima

Read the back story HERE.

serves four

1/2 cup vegetable oil
juice from 4 limes
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
soft lettuce greens (i.e. Boston lettuce); enough for 4 servings
handful of medium size white mushrooms (i.e. about 12), cleaned and sliced paper thin

I remove the stems before slicing the mushrooms. Mix ingredients and shake well to thoroughly mix ingredients. Toss with the greens and mushrooms.

Blackened Tilapia

This recipe is not too spicy, but very flavorful.  It's pleases everyone, every time and is simple to prepare.  Paired with small, boiled red potatoes (or fingerlings) and a green vegetable (green beans, broccoli, asparagus), it's elegant and quick.  We usually use Tilapia for this dish, but it was intended for Swordfish by chef Jacques Pepin.  Grouper would be another good alternative.  (Photo above, taken 3-7-09, shows tilapia with Potato & Bacon Gratin and green beans, which we served to guest We serve this dish to Curt and Jennifer Finfrock).

serves four

4 fillets of Swordfish (3/4-1" thick) or Tilapia (6-8 oz. each)
1tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 tablespoons Canola oil

Trim away and discard the skin (if using Swordfish).  Mix the herbs and spices and spread on a plate or piece of waxed paper. Press fillets into the herb and spice mix, coating the fillets completely; bottom, top and edges, using 1/2 of the mix.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet until hot.  Add the fish, seasoned side facing the oil.  Sprinkle with the remaining herb and spice mix.  Sauté for three minutes, turn and sauté three to four minutes.  Serve immediately on warm plates.

Mustard, Herb and Garlic Encrusted Beef Tenderloin

Carolyn and I first prepared this dish for New Years Eve dinner (2001) accompanied by onion mashed potatoes, green beans, and caramelized shallots. It's a simple yet elegant entrée. The fresh herbs, I think, are essential. I doubt that the same flavor would emerge from dried herbs. -JB 1-7-2001.

I can't believe it's been eight years, but I prepared this for our dinner with Paul and Tom this past weekend at Killasonna Lodge. -JB 3-5-09


3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
black pepper
4 1/2 lb. beef tenderloins (fillet mignon), preferably cut from the thick end (ask butcher for "choice" rather than "select"; Black Angus if available)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
2-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Mix the garlic, thyme, rosemary and mustard in a small bowl.

Season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Place 2-3 tablespoons of oil in an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is best) and brown the meat for five minutes. Generously coat the top of each filet with the mustard and herb mixture. Place in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes (or until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125º F for medium-rare).

Potato & Bacon Gratin

A gratin, which originated in France, is a dish in which the ingredients are allowed to form a crust. Either the ingredients form the crust or the ingredients are topped with something that will make a crust. Gratins typically are topped with a mix of butter and breadcrumbs or with cheese. The most basic and well known of gratins are scalloped potatoes. This recipe is an off-shoot of the basic recipe. It's virtually fool-proof and amazingly delicious. We paired this with Mustard, Herb and Garlic Encrusted Beef Tenderloin. All I can say is WOW.

Some recipes call for soaking and draining the sliced potatoes, twice, to remove excess starch. I don’t do that, so I can’t comment on whether it’s worth the extra work.


Serves 6

8 slices smoked bacon, rind removed, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
20 or more whole sage leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 lbs. potatoes, scrubbed (Yukon Gold or Charlotte are preferred, but not essential)
10 oz. double cream or crème fraiche (I use a mix of 5 oz. 1/2+1/2 or heavy cream and 5 oz. milk)
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup smoked mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fry the bacon in the oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat as you add the sage and garlic. Cook one or two minutes and remove from heat. Set skillet aside.

Arrange enough sliced potatoes (not peeled) to cover a large cutting board (or cookie sheet or whatever) and season evenly with salt and pepper. Place potatoes into a large bowl. Repeat until all the potatoes are seasoned and in the bowl. Add contents of the skillet. Add the cream to the bowl. Mix and place into a shallow baking dish or casserole (~ 9” x 13”). Cover with aluminum foil and place in the bottom third of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and cook an additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Feel free to broil it for two minutes to give it a nice crust.

Coffee Cake with seasonal fruit

 

Any seasonal fruit can be used in this simple coffee cake.  Blackberries were used in the cake in the photo above.  My favorite version is with peaches and blueberries.  Although I haven't tried it, I think this cake would be perfectly good without any fruit at all, but the fruit adds a bit of moisture to an otherwise dry cake.

The dough is incredibly sticky.  Use a bowl with curved sides, if possible, and a spatula to get all the dough transferred into the springform pan.  Slightly press the fruit into the dough.  The cake will rise around it as it bakes. 

note:  when I set the oven to "convection bake," it slightly overbaked the bake.  Use the regular bake setting.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest from one fresh lemon
1-1/4 cup self rising flour
2 peaches & handful of blueberries (or other fruit)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of butter in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add ¾ cup sugar and beat until blended.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then the lemon juice and the lemon peel.  Beat in flour until smooth.  Spread batter evenly in buttered pan.

Arrange peaches in circles and lightly press in blueberries between the peaches.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar over the cake and bake until cake is golden, about 40 minutes.

Optional:  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

note: photo at top taken 1-23-10 during a visit by Diane, Troy, Rachel and Kevin.  This cake was made with peaches and blueberries.