Hard Cooked Eggs

From the Splendid Table News Letter

Ask Lynne:

Why is it so difficult to hard boil an egg? I get a green ring around the yolk, or I peel the egg and take half the white with it.

Eggs are not easy. Those innocent-looking little ovoids are seething with complexes.

Peeling is tricky when the egg’s very fresh because it has a high acid content. Eggs closer to their expiration dates contain less acid, so they’re less likely to have those sticky shells. How you cook and cool them down makes a difference, too. Cook them in salted water to help firm the white. Once they’re done, cool them fast in cold running water.

Green rings come from the blending of iron and sulfur. That happens with overcooking, cooking at too high heat, or not cooling the eggs quickly enough.

Hard-cook eggs this way: Put cold eggs in a saucepan, in a single layer. Cover in cold water by about 1-1/2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon salt for every 4 eggs. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and then immediately lower heat so that the water bubbles very gently. Cook 3 minutes. Cover the pot, remove it from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Cool the eggs under cold running water. When they’re cold, peel or refrigerate up to 4 days.

— Lynne

Pan-Crisped Deviled Eggs on French Lettuces

Image from Splendid Table News Letter.

From The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 as a main dish; 6 as a first course

Who would imagine browning deviled eggs to caramelize their edges and crisp their fillings? What a sensual turn with a hard-cooked egg.

We owe the idea to Jacques Pépin and his memoir, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen. The inspiration comes from war-torn France and a recipe born of scarcity that Jacques' mother created during World War II, though you'd never know it when you pick up your fork.

Note: The eggs could be stuffed a day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to sauté them.

Ingredients

Eggs

• 8 large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
• 1 scant teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2-1/2 teaspoons minced onion
• 2-1/2 tight-packed tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarse chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 2-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing

• The leftover egg stuffing
• 3 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2-1/2 tablespoons milk
• 2-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Salad

4 generous handfuls mixed greens, such as Bibb lettuce, mâche, and dandelion greens or frisée, washed and dried

Directions

Cut the hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks (fingers work best), and place them in a medium bowl. Reserve the whites.

Add the mustard, garlic, onion, parsley, milk, mayonnaise, and vinegar to the yolks. With a fork, crush everything together into a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pack the mixture back into the hollows of the egg whites, so the filling is even with the surface of the egg, not mounded. You will have leftover stuffing (this becomes the salad dressing).

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Gently place the eggs in the pan, stuffed side down. Cook until the eggs are beautifully browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper as they cook.

As the eggs sauté, combine in a large bowl the leftover egg stuffing with all the dressing ingredients. Add the salad greens to the bowl, and toss. Heap them on a serving platter.

Gently lift the eggs from the pan, turn them filling side up, set them on the greens, and serve.

Spanish Garlic Soup

FROM: The Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook by Terry Golson. Photography by Ben Fink. Copyright 2014.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

This soup has the big flavors and full body that are perfect for a winter dinner. It is finished in the oven like French onion soup, but in this case, instead of melted cheese, there is an egg poached on the surface.

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron
4 thick slices crusty French bread
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the garlic is soft and golden. Take care not to let it scorch or turn dark brown. Properly cooked, garlic becomes sweet and pungent but loses its sharpness.

2. Stir in the paprika, cumin, and saffron. Heat for 1 minute, until the aromas intensify.

3. Place the bread in the seasoned oil and toast on both sides.

4. Pour the broth in carefully over the bread. Season with the salt and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to a low simmer. If the soup boils too rapidly, the bread will break apart. That won't ruin it, but it looks much nicer with whole slices. Simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary (the saltiness of broth varies).

5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put 4 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle the soup and a slice of bread into each bowl. Crack an egg into each soup bowl. Slide the baking sheet into the oven (it's much easier than handling each bowl) and bake until the yolks are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with the cilantro.

Eggs in Soup

The poached eggs in Spanish Garlic Soup take on the flavor of the broth, and the runny yolks cut the intensity of the garlic. In other soup recipes the eggs are not kept whole, but they still have that poached egg silkiness. In all cases, when adding eggs to soup, stir them in during the last few minutes to prevent overcooking.