By CHARLOTTE DRUCKMAN
It's easy to take eggs for granted. They're always on the supermarket shelf when we need them, ready to do their part when a morning pancake craving or hangover-sandwich hankering hits. Thing is, just like allergies, asparagus and Paschal lambs, eggs have a season--and it starts in now. Birds are biologically wired to commence laying at the onset of spring and continue on until the dark days of winter, which means we've got nine months of intensely hued, rich-flavored yolks ahead of us.According to Paul Dench-Layton, co-owner of Violet Hill Farm in Catskill National Park, N.Y., light and temperature trigger egg production from the feathered set. This ultra-satisfying protein stretches well beyond breakfast and, as any good cook knows, there are few flavors that don't shine when paired with it.Herewith, five of the country's greatest culinary talents share their favorite justifications for getting egg on your face.
Slow-Cooked Eggs With Garden Herbs and Crme Frache
At Shinn Farmhouse on Long Island's North Fork, David Page cooks up a memorable breakfast daily; these creamy scrambled eggs are the highlight. Serves 412 large fresh eggs, beaten 4 tablespoons crme frache 2 tablespoons softened sweet butter 3 tablespoons chopped herbs such as chives, tarragon, basil and parsleyWhat to do:1. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.2. Whisk eggs and add crme frache.3. Place the eggs over a double boiler of simmering water.4. Whisk eggs vigorously, keeping them creamy. When they begin to set, remove them from the heat and add the butter and herbs. They should have the texture of cottage cheese.5. Serve with buttered toast or a biscuit.Variations: Fresh goat cheese can be added instead of crme frache; Also consider stirring pesto or roasted garlic in at the end.
Sunshine Baked EggsAs Jenn Louis of Portland, Ore., opens her second eatery, Sunshine Tavern, she introduces an easy, eggy meal with a pungent tomato presence and a porky garnish. Serves 6 small onion, finely diced 1 two-inch sprig of rosemary 1 sage leaf 2 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pinch red chili flakes 1 quart whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand to leave chunky 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley 12 black oil-cured olives, pitted and cut into halves 12 large eggs 6 quarter-inch slices pancetta, seared in a pan 6 small gratin dishesWhat to do:1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Over medium heat, saute onion, rosemary, sage, bay leaves and garlic until onion is translucent and garlic is cooked through, but not brown. Add chili flakes and tomatoes and cook until sauce has reduced to medium thickness. Sauce should not be pasty, dry or watery. Season with parsley and add salt and black pepper to taste.2. Place cup of tomatoes in bottom of each gratin dish and sprinkle 4 black olive halves over each. Crack 2 eggs per dish on top of tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake for about 6 minutes in oven, covered with aluminum foil, or until egg whites are barely cooked through.3. Remove from oven, top with warm pancetta and serve.Variation: If you'd rather skip the pork, or want to try a Provenal spin, switch out the pancetta and put two anchovy slivers on top of each portion.Korean Rice Salad With a Fried EggPhotographs by Tara Donne for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Martha BernabeKorean Rice Salad with a Fried EggA staple on the menu at Susan Feniger's Street in Los Angeles, this dish features a fried egg atop a Korean rice salad that's full of surprising nutty flavors and crunchy textures. Serves 42 cups shiitake mushrooms 1 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups shredded lettuce 1 cup firm tofu, diced 1 cup pickled daikon, julienned (available at edenfoods.com) 1 cup carrot, julienned 1 cup soybean or mung bean sprouts 1 cup dried nori seaweed, cut into -inch-wide strips, soaked and rinsed 8 tablespoons sunflower seeds 2 cups brown rice, steamed cup (12 tablespoons) sesame dressing (see recipe below) 4 eggsWhat to do:1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. Sprinkle mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. When they're cool, chop them very thin.3. Place a small pile of shredded lettuce in the bottom of each person's bowl.4. Make sesame dressing (recipe below).5. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms, tofu, daikon, carrot, sprouts, seaweed, sunflower seeds and rice in the dressing.6. Heat a frying pan and fry the eggs.7. Place the dressed rice mixture on the shredded lettuce in each bowl. As soon as the eggs are ready, remove them from the pan and put one atop each individual salad.Sesame Dressing1/3 cup lemon juice 1 ounce (approx. 2 tablespoons) minced ginger 1/8 cup fish sauce cup rice-wine vinegar cup light-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons spicy sesame oil 1 cup regular sesame oil 4 tablespoons Absinthe (or substitute Pernod)Mix all ingredients.
Red-Wine Poached EggsAt The Publican in Chicago, chef Brian Huston poaches eggs not in the usual solution of water and vinegar, but in red wine. A drizzling of Hollandaise sauce goes on top for the win. Serves 44 eggs poached in red wine for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the yolk sets 4 large handfuls of fresh bitter greens (arugula, dandelion greens, mizuna or chickory) 8 slices of prosciutto Hollandaise (recipe below)Hollandaise Sauce1 stick unsalted butter 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1 shallot, diced 1 sprig tarragon 3 eggsWhat to do:To make Hollandaise sauce, melt butter, cool and set aside. In a small sauce pan, simmer vinegars, shallot and tarragon until liquid is reduced by half. Strain liquid and reserve. Crack eggs into blender, add strained vinegar and mix. Slowly pour in melted butter while whirring. Season with salt and pepper.To serve: Pile a generous handful of bitter greens on the plate, and rest a poached egg atop the leafy pile. Lay two slices of prosciutto over the egg and spoon generous amount of Hollandaise over the whole.Early-Spring Vegetable Charlotte with Coddled Egg and Camembert
Early-Spring Vegetable Charlotte with Coddled Egg and CamembertPete List, the chef at Denver, Colo.'s Beatrice and Woodlsey, coddles both eggs and lucky diners with this savory, cheese-filled take on a bread-based French dessert. Serves 42 medium roasted red peppers (see directions below, or buy the prepared version)5/6 cups extra virgin olive oil lb. red or Swiss chard, washed and stemmed 2 fresh zucchini 2 young onions with scallion-like tops in tact (or substitute 2 small, sweet onions like Mauis or Vidalias) 4 ripe heirloom tomatoes 1/4 cup crushed garlic (approximately 6-8 cloves) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 loaf artisan bread sliced thinly (focaccia or ciabatta are preferable) cup olive oil 4 ounces ( lb.) Camembert cheese (or substitute any bloomy rind cheese, such as brie), cut into four slices 12 thin slices of Parma ham (approximately lb.) 4 large farm fresh chicken eggs 4 fresh basil leavesWhat to do:Make the vegetable filling:1. Preheat oven to broil.2. Toss peppers in cup of olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler until the skin is blackened and blistering. Place peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam to loosen the skin. After 10 minutes, uncover bowl and let peppers cool. Peel skin off the peppers and remove the seeds and stem. Slice peppers into 1-inch-wide strips.3. Place roasted peppers in mixing bowl.4. Prepare chard: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil while you wash the vegetable's leaves in cold water to get rid of any sand or grit. Remove stems. Submerge chard in the boiling water for one minute until leaves wilt. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once they're cold, remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Tear the leaves into smaller pieces and add them to the mixing bowl with the roasted peppers.5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.6. Slice zucchini into rounds about -inch thick and place in the mixing bowl with the other vegetables. Do the same for the onions and tomatoes.7. Crush each garlic clove with the flat edge of your knife and add to the bowl.8. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to vegetables. Toss until coated evenly. Place vegetables on a baking sheet or medium-sized roasting pan. Stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooking, roast for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly brown. Remove vegetables from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Place cooled vegetables on a cutting board and rough chop to -inch (or smaller) pieces. Return to mixing bowl and add sherry vinegar. Finally, add salt or pepper as needed and set aside.To build the charlottes:9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.10. Slice bread about 1/8-inch-thick. For best results use one long slice that will fit all the way around the inner wall of the ramekin; for the bottom, if you can't cut one circular round, two semi-circular pieces are fine--they should overlap a little. The entire interior of the ramekin should now be covered. Measure the depth and width of the ramekins and trim the bread to fit. Finally, cut one circular piece to fit over the top of the ramekin.11. Brush the bread with enough olive oil to soften and make pliable (1/4 cup of olive oil should be plenty). Line the inside of the ramekins with the trimmed, moistened pieces of bread; do the sides first, then the bottoms.12. Fill each ramekin halfway with roasted vegetable mix, add a slice of cheese to each, then fill with the rest of the vegetables. Line the top with circular piece of bread, cover each ramekin with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and the vegetables are hot.13. When the ramekins go in the oven, coddle the eggs thusly: Place the eggs in makeshift stands fashioned from their respective carton slots in the bottom of a pan or pot that is deep enough to hold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch or so. In a separate pot, boil enough water to cover the eggs and. Once it's boiling, gently pour it over eggs. Let eggs sit in the water for 22 minutes for large eggs; extra large may take a couple minutes longer. Remove eggs from the water and let rest for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly.14. Remove ramekins from the oven and let rest a few minutes.15. To serve, remove each charlotte from the ramekin by turning it upside down onto serving plate (loosen the edges around the side of the container with a knife if necessary). On top of each charlotte, arrange two slices of Parma ham, gently crack the tops of the eggs with a spoon, pull the shell off the top to make a large hole and pour one gently on top of the ham. Wrap the ham around the egg, drizzle whole with olive oil and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
