Everyone knows the simple pleasure of that ultimate comfort food the boiled egg. But there's so much more you can do with this versatile ingredient.
Remember sitting in a Paris café many years ago, eating eggs mayonnaise for lunch. They had been soft-boiled, carefully peeled and were sitting on a thick slice of buttery toasted baguette, surrounded by bitter leaves of curly endive and coated with mayonnaise and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Behind me on the wall was a plaque bearing Simone de Beauvoir’s name; apparently this was her seat that I was sitting in. I was impressed to find such a simple dish on the menu and I tried to re-create it on my return to Wellington. It did not sell well, however, so it was replaced on the menu by eggs poached in red wine. Maybe the dish was just too simple for Kiwi tastes.
Yet many of us will have memories of the pleasure of a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt and ground black pepper and eaten as a solitary late-night supper or possibly as the first restorative taken after an illness. They’re the ultimate comfort food. I eat them soft-boiled with variations of the toast soldier, such as blue-cheese rind topped with a little apple sauce or melted cheddar cheese on toast, cut into fingers and sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves. If I have any black olives, I might chop some up and sprinkle them on top of the yolk, to be stirred in as I eat.
From simple recipes to the more elaborate, eggs can be used in an astounding number of ways, either as a meal or as a support act for other dishes. Always buy the freshest eggs, preferably free range. Store eggs pointed-end down in the carton in the refrigerator, as this will prevent air damage.
A little understanding of the egg and its cooking properties can help us to perfect them. With soufflés or meringues, we want to trap the air inside the soft peaks of whipped egg whites and allow it to expand with heat before setting. With mayonnaise or hollandaise, we need to disperse oil or butter into the yolk and hold it in suspension before setting the proteins. With hollandaise or custards, this is best done slowly over a low heat, which prevents the yolk curdling and separating.
I once nervously watched a pastry chef make custard using 20 litres of milk and 160 egg yolks. I am not sure who was more relieved when it was finally finished and the sauce perfectly coated the back of a wooden spoon.
The first time I made eggs poached in red wine was at catering college. We used Velluto Rosso wine from a cask, the sauce was overly thick and lumpy and the eggs hard from overcooking. Years later I decided to revisit all my early culinary horrors to see if I had misunderstood those dishes. This was one, roasted capsicums was another. Now I love this dish, and it makes a great supper.
EGGS POACHED IN RED WINE
12 slices of crusty baguette
1 bottle of pinot noir
200ml beef stock
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2½ tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices streaky bacon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
25ml red wine vinegar
8 eggs
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Slice 12 pieces from a baguette and fry them in butter until golden brown. Bring three-quarters of the wine to a boil, then cook until the alcohol has evaporated. To test this, deeply inhale the steam coming off the wine – if you get an instant headache, it hasn’t evaporated. Add the stock and thyme and reduce by three-quarters. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Mix 11?2 tablespoons of butter with the flour and thicken the sauce by whisking in small pieces at a time. Season to taste and keep it warm. Cut the bacon into thin strips and fry in the remaining tablespoon of butter until golden brown. Remove the bacon and drain on absorbent paper. Keep it warm. In a separate shallow pan, bring the vinegar and remaining wine to a simmer. Break the eggs individually, place in the pan and gently poach. Lift out with a slotted spoon. Divide the baguette pieces between 6 plates and top with an egg. Divide up the bacon. Pour the sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 6.
THIS BROTH IS a wonderful restorative. Store-bought liquid chicken stock will work for the base, but try to find a low-sodium one. Good parmesan cheese is essential.
STRACIATELLA
(Broth with parmesan and eggs)
4 eggs
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
800ml chicken stock
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the cheese and nutmeg and 200ml of the stock. Put the remaining stock into a pot over a low heat and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Pour in the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Place the soup back over the heat and allow it to come back to a gentle simmer. Threads of egg mixture should be broken up through the stock. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.