Brunch at the Yellow Door: Ruffly Eggs (with Dorie)

I first read about "ruffly eggs" on Dorie Greenspan's web page at http://doriegreenspan.com/ and immediately wanted to try them. It's basically a egg poached in a little plastic wrap bag. The ringer is that you can add just about anything you want to the bag to flavor the eggs. My favorite is a big pinch of chopped herbs and a drizzle of truffle oil. I've also made them with a little salsa and shredded cheese (sort of a poached huevos rancheros) and with leftover chana masala with Sriracha sauce for added kick. They are not much more complicated then making a soft boiled egg and as Dorie puts it, they're endlessly play-aroundable.

The delicious croissant is from Le Caprice, a new French bakery, at 3460 14th Street, NW.

Ruffly Eggs with Herbs and Truffle Oil

This recipe is for one serving, but it's easy to scale up to more. Dorie says her chef friend prepares them Saturday night, puts them in the fridge, then cooks them for Sunday brunch at his restaurant.

2 large eggs

Olive oil or butter

2 teaspoons finely chopped, fresh, mixed herbs (basil, chives, parsley, rosemary, whatever you have)

1 teaspoon white or black truffle oil (more or less to taste)

Salt and pepper

Additionally you'll need plastic wrap, kitchen string, and a small bowl.

1) Put a medium size saucepan of water to boil (a 2 quart is more than enough for 2 - 4 eggs)

2) Cut two pieces of plastic wrap, each large enough to generously wrap around each egg. Very lightly coat the the top of each piece of plastic with oil or butter, and then fit one wrap into the small bowl.

3) Add one teaspoon of the herbs sprinkled evenly in the button of the bowl. Drizzle a 1/2 teaspoon of truffle oil over the herbs. Gently crack an egg and into the cup, taking care not to break the yolk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4) Draw up the corners and sides of the plastic, getting as close as you can to the top of the egg, and twist to tighten the plastic. Tie the string around the neck of the plastic to secure it. Repeat with the other egg.

5) Lower the heat under the pan to a light simmer and gently drop in the eggs (...not fear, the plastic won’t melt). Poach the eggs for about 5 minutes, then carefully lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to briefly drain. (If the white doesn’t look set, poach a few seconds longer.)

6) The easiest way to unpack the eggs is to put them on the plate and to snip the plastic just under the string almost all the way around the bag. Gently lift the plastic wrap by the neck, coaxing the egg out a small spatula if necessary. Dorie says, it’s not a problem if it’s upside-down, it’s just that the ruffles are prettier on the top. Serve immediately.

Cook's Note: I love these for brunch with toast or a croissant, but they can be used in the same way as poached eggs; great served on a salad or as Eggs Benedict. They really are endlessly play-aroundable!

Tunisia

Our little caravan hugs the beaches along Tunisia’s coastline. Though hot, the sea breezes are magnificent and the Camels seem to prefer the sand. We are in the tiny beach town of Plage de es Chaffar on the Gulf of Gabès. A town of only a fewer than 2000 people but has plan for expanding its tourism. It is known by the locals (and bargain-hunting French students) for its fine sand beaches and excellent kite-surfing.

Like every evening of our trek, Mr. Chebba has coordinated a rendezvous with the two small trucks carrying the bulk of our supplies and luggage. When we arrive in camp each evening, the workers have already erected the bedroom tents and are working on the main pavilion. They are breezy structures of creamy canvas and white linen. At the end of a long day of camelback riding a cool shower and clean dishdasha are heaven. Now it’s off to the pavilion for drinks and dinner.

Speaking of dinner… tonight is Makhouda D'aubergine, a Tunisian style frittata with eggplants, onions, and parsley from the Yellow Door garden. This is an easy recipe great for dinner or brunch. I found it at www.food.com.

Makhouda D'aubergine (Tunisian Eggplant Frittata)

Ingredients:

1 large globe eggplants

1 tblsp salt, for sprinkling

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onions, finely chopped

1 red bell peppers, seeded, deribbed and diced

8 large eggs

1 handful chopped fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup packed) or cilantro

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounce gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons harissa or hot pepper paste or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1-2 teaspoons Tunisian spice blend (bharat) (or a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon rosewater, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

lemon wedges for garnish

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch dice. Sprinkle generously with salt and place the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes.
2. Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the eggplant, onion, and pepper, stirring occasionally until golden and soft, about 20-25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF
4. Transfer this mixture to a colander to drain off as much of the oil as possible.
5. In a large bowl, mix the eggs and add the herbs, garlic, cheese and bread crumbs.
6. Add the eggplant mixture.
7. Season with the bharat, salt, and a small spoonful of the optional harissa or cayenne pepper.
8. Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish.
9. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and puffed in the center, 40-45 minutes (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean).
10. Let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter (you can also just leave it in the dish).
11. Cut into wedges or squares to serve.
12. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.

Brunch at the Yellow Door: Caviar Eggs

The inspiration: eggs, left-over caviar, and a need for Brunch. I searched on epicurious for recipes with “egg caviar” and came up with a recipe for “Caviar Eggs” (imagine!) The gorgeous photo of the eggshell stuffed with scrambled eggs topped with vodka-spiked whipped cream and glistening caviar was very intriguing. What’s not to like? Here is the link to the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/Caviar-Eggs-350244.

I reduced the recipe to serve four and, of course, didn’t follow it exactly. For one thing, I didn’t boil the eggshells; I simple let the soak in very hot, soapy water for about 10-minutes and then rinsed and dried them. Also I didn’t measure the whipped cream ingredients, just eyeballed the proportions.

The most challenging aspect of this recipe is getting the eggs out of the shells without destroying the shells. I luckily have an eggshell cutter. I’ve only ever used it to cut the tops off of soft-boiled eggs, but, with a little care, it worked fine for opening. The recipe has you cut the tops off with a pairing knife. I guess it can be done, but I was glad I had my cutter!

The scrambled eggs take a little “technique” too. You want them very creamy and to have a very small curd so you have to stir them constantly. I used a whisk to keep the eggs moving in the pan. Also use low or medium-low heat and pull the pan off the heat as soon as the eggs are set.

I served my eggs with some bacon I topped with black pepper and shave Parmigiano cheese.

Below is my recipe for Caviar Eggs for Four

4 large eggs

1/4 cup chilled heavy cream

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vodka

1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of cayenne, divided

1 tablespoons salted butter

2 tablespoons caviar

Open and sterilize eggshells:
Carefully remove top third of each eggshell using an eggshell cutter or by tapping around egg with a paring knife, then gently pry off top and discard. Pour eggs into a bowl, reserving shells.

Use a knife to tear any membrane remaining in bottom of eggshells. Soak eggs in very hot, soapy water for 10-minutes. Rinse and dry the shells, set aside in egg cups to hold them upright.

Whip cream and scramble eggs:
Beat cream with a whisk until it just holds stiff peaks, then beat in lemon juice, vodka, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne.

Thoroughly beat eggs with 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Melt remaining butter in nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are just scrambled, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide among shells and top with whipped cream and caviar. Serve!

Brunch at the Yellow Door: All Puffed-Up

Why?

Growing up, I remember my mom making soufflés. Well to be honest, I really only remember her making one soufflé and I recall not liking it that much. However, I was mesmerized by it as I peeped through the oven window watching it get higher and higher. Now, I love them. And a nice, slow, do-nothing Sunday morning is the perfect time for one.

Soufflés really aren’t that much work and you don’t have to tip-toe around while they bake. Honestly, its maybe 20-minutes of prep time and 30-40-minutes in the oven! Plus, its basic ingredients; eggs, cheese, some milk, a little butter, a little flour and you have a stunning, delicious brunch.

What?

So this recipe comes from the Larousse Gastronomique (subtitled: The World’s Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia.) The LG is a 7 ½ pound monster, over 1200 pages long. I have to admit I find it a bit intimidating but it’s got some fascinating information and quite a few recipes; in fact 2 ½ pages of soufflé recipes alone. This is where my spinach soufflé recipe comes from.

This is a classic soufflé recipe. You first make a béchamel sauce, add egg yolks and flavoring (spinach and cheese for mine), fold that into fluffy, whipped egg whites, pour the whole thing into a soufflé pan and bake. I was a bit skeptical of this recipe at first. For anyone who’s ever made a roux, I thought this one was a little off base. It called for way more flour than I thought it should have, so I reduced it from 6 tablespoons to 3 tablespoons, which still made for a really stiff, gloppy béchamel. The sauce did loosen up a little with the addition of the egg yolks and spinach and in the end the soufflé was gorgeous.

How much?

This assumes that you have basics like, flour, milk and butter (maybe a dollars-worth altogether).

4 eggs - $1.06 (based on dozen cage-free $3.19)

8 ounces frozen spinach - $0.70 (based on 16-oz bag at $1.39)

3 oz white cheddar cheese - $1.49 (based on $4.99 for 10-oz)

Total: $4.25

The Recipe

Spinach Soufflé

3 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

8 ounces frozen spinach

3 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400°.

1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture.

2. Separate four eggs, with whites in a large bowl and yolks in a small bowl.

3. Butter the inside of an eight inch soufflé pan.

4. Make a béchamel by melting the butter in medium saucepan, stir in flour and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring it to a boil whisk often. Season with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

5. Add spinach, cheese, and egg yolks and stir to combine well.

6. Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks. Add 1/3 egg whites to the béchamel and gently stir to combine (to further lighten the béchamel). Carefully fold the béchamel mixture into the egg whites folding into the batter is fairly homogenous (it’s OK if those bits of streaks of egg white still in the mix).

7. Pour the batter into the soufflé pan and bake (see cook’s note) for 30 minutes without opening the door until well risen and the top is golden-brown.

Cook’s note: I don’t particularly like brown, crusty egg dishes, so I usually cook my soufflés a bain-marie to keep the sides from browning, but that’s up to you.

The Larousse Gastronomique really is a wonderful book with lots of useful information (like what is a bain-marie?) and would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s cookbook collection.