'Egg-cellent' new recipes: Some unique ways to serve the versatile food
MILWAUKEE -- Looking for a new way to cook your eggs. Chef Alisa Malavenda joins Real Milwaukee with some "egg-cellent" new recipes you can serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The versatile egg can be used in anything from cocktails to desserts and more. On their own as a meal they can be fried, scrambled, hard or soft cooked, poached, shirred or baked, made into omelets , frittata , quiche and strata. Used as an ingredient , they thicken, emulsify, clarify, and bind.
EGG SIZE CHART:
Small- 1.75 oz
Medium - 1.75 - 2 oz
Large- 2-2.25
XL or Jumbo - 2.25-2.5
Eggs in Purgatory
In a large skillet with a fitted lid, heat oil . Add the 2 cloves of thin sliced garlic and pinch red pepper flakes. Before garlic starts to brown( about a minute) add tomatoes, some basil salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer the sauce until it becomes thicker and tomato cooks down about 20-30 min.
Stir in butter and 2 T of the parmesan.
With the back of a large spoon , make 6 -8 “wells” in the tomato sauce and crack 1 egg per well. Cover pan tightly and let cook until the eggs are “set( about 2-3 minutes depending on how you want runny you like the yolks.
While eggs are cooking, toast rounds of bread in toaster or under broiler , while they are hot , rub with garlic and then drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of flaked salt
When eggs are cooked , sprinkle with remaining basil and parmesan cheese and serve with crostini
Tip: Change up the flavor profile from Italian to Middle Eastern , African or Latin America by adding harissa, adobo, peppers or chipotle or any other ingredients to the tomatoes.
Salad Lyonnaise- “Frisée , Bacon and Poached Egg”
Per salad
Wash and dry lettuce well. Set aside
In a small jar , mix, oil , vinegar, shallots, mustard and salat and pepper to taste. Set aside
Cook bacon until crispy , drain and cool. Chop into pieces
Method for Poaching:
Poach egg or eggs in a shallow pan-
Bring water to a gentle boil, adding a tablespoon of vinegar. Meanwhile, crack your eggs into a small cup so they're ready to go when the water reaches the right temperature. When the water reaches a boil, reduce it to a gentle simmer. ( 185)
Dip the bowl with the egg into the water, and let the water cook the egg for a moment before you slide the egg into the water. This will help prevent the wispy whites. Drop in the second egg in the same way, and try to keep track of the order they went in. The first egg in should be the first egg out.
Gently keep the water moving with a spoon while the eggs cook. Take the eggs out after three minutes for soft poached, or let them cook to five minutes for a more solid yolk. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain as much of the water as possible on a paper towel. In the meantime toss lettuce, bacon and croutons in a bowl.
Shake vinaigrette in jar and pour over salad and gently mix. Top with poached egg.
Tip: if you're cooking eggs for a crowd, don't stress. Poached eggs can be held in an ice bath for up to an hour. When it's time to serve, put them back in the hot water until they warm up (about 45 seconds) and serve.
Quail Eggs – Deviled, Pickled or Dipped in Salt
1 package ( 18 quail eggs) – hard boiled Place eggs in a saucepan with cold water and a good amount of salt.
Method:
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes- turn off heat and cover pan – let sit another 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove eggs and transfer eggs to a bowl filled with ice and cold water . Let sit 5 minutes until they are chilled – remove from ice bath – dry and peel. Set aside in fridge.
Deviled :Cut eggs in half and carefully remove yolks, mash until smooth. In a small bowl , combine egg yolks, mustard, sour cream or mayo , salt and pepper and mix well. Put mixtue in a pastry bag or ziplock – snip a small hole at the end and fill hollowed center of egg.
Pickled: Peel and add to the juice from a jar of pickled beets. Let sit for at least 3-4 days.
Dipping Salt: Just peel and serve with a small bowl of dipping salt.
You can substitute with regular chicken eggs.
Spring Vegetable Frittata
Preheat oven to 350.
In a bowl , whisk eggs, cream, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Heat oil and butter in a 10 in non-stick oven proof pan. Cook scallions for 1-2 min. Add peas and asparagus and cook for another 2 min until tender , but still crisp.
Pour in egg mixture and cook without stirring for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat until crust forms on bottom and eggs start to set. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese and transfer to preheated oven.
Bake for15- 20 minutes until the frittata is set, and the top and edges are puffy.
Overnight Farmer’s Bacon , Egg and Potato Strata
In a large pan, cook bacon until crisp, remove leaving 2 T of bacon grease in pan; add the onion and cook until translucent – add ham and cook for another minute.
Butter a 9x13 in casserole pan. In a large bowl toss the bread cubes with the bacon, ham and onion mixture, potatoes and cheese.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with the milk , salt , pepper, mustard, Worcestershire and tabasco. Pour egg mixture into the bread mixture and stir well to combine. Pour into prepared pan, cover and chill overnight.
In the morning , remove casserole from fridge at least 30-60 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for approximately I hour and 15 minute or until a sticking a knife in the center comes out clean.
Corn Custard Baked in Eggshells with Prosciutto Crisp Garnish
Corn Custard
***Cardboard egg carton and Egg scissors
Tap the end of the egg shell and remove the top of the eggs with egg scissors or a sharp serrated knife. Shake out the raw egg.
Empty 3 of the eggs into a large mixing bowl and set aside for the custard. Empty the remaining eggs into a container and save for another use.
Rinse the inside of the shells with warm water and GENTLY remove and loose membrane with your fingertips. Turn upside down to dry well.
Place the 12 cleaned eggshells back into the original cardboard carton and set the carton in a baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Simmer the heavy cream with the corn for about 7 minutes.
Purée in a food processor and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
Whisk the 3 reserved eggs, and slowly, slowly beat in the strained cream mixture.
Season with salt and pepper.
Fill the eggshells two-thirds full with the custard mixture. Pour about 1 inch of water into the baking dish holding the egg carton with the filled eggshells, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and carefully set in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the custard is set.
Carefully remove the egg carton from the baking pan and set inside. Use individual egg cups or a platter filled with peppercorns, rock salt or anything else you find decorative to serve. Garnish with Prosciutto Crisps, Flowering Chives or Corn and an espresso spoon
Prosciutto Crisps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil, and arrange prosciutto in a single layer. Place in oven, and bake until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into strips or break into shards.
Shirred (Baked) Eggs
Baked eggs or shirred eggs are one of my favorites and also super easy . You can use ANYTHING in the bottom of the cups. The most important thing to do is to make sure there is something
( usually cream on top) to help the white of the egg from not drying out. Also, this is nice served with what is called toast soldiers or toast points.
Unsalted butter , room temp to grease ramekin or oven proof baking dish
Finnish Rolled Pancake
Toppings ( jam, Nutella , sautéed apples , sliced fruit, powdered sugar , cinnamon sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a blender or with an electric mixer beat together eggs , then add the sugar , salt , vanilla and milk. Beat well and then add the flour
Line the bottom and up the sides of 2 - jelly roll pan 9x13 with foil. Brush the foil generously with oil or butter. Place the baking sheets in the oven for 3-4 minutes
And the butter has melted.
Remove hot baking pans from oven and immediately pour egg mixture in equal amount to each pan. . Baker for about 20 minutes or until bubbles form and the surface browns . rotate pans half way through cooking process.
Remove from oven . sprinkle with sugar and if you want it stuffed add fruit , jam or Nutella, roll up pancakes starting at short end. Or just roll up and serve with an array of favorite toppings.
Tips for Buying , Cooking and Storing Eggs
Always Keep Eggs in their Carton- it protects the eggs and prevents them from absorbing strong odors and flavors of other foods in your fridge because the shells are so porous. Eggs should always be stored with the large end up, the same way they are packaged in the carton. This helps the yolk remain centered.
For Freshness: It’s always best to use by the date on carton but another test of freshness:
Size and Weight of an egg – size really does matter when it comes to baking
EGG SIZE CHART:
5-5-5- The perfect hard-boiled egg ( easy to peel and bright yellow with no green ring)Place eggs ina pan covered with cold water – Add salt and bring to a slow boil .
5 minutes in salted boiling water- 5 minutes off the heat, covered and then 5 minutes in an ice bath.
Do you like an over easy egg but can’t flip it without breaking it . Don’t flip it , add a little water and cover the pan, you will still get a nice egg white with a runny yolk ?
The big debate- water, milk or cream for scrambled eggs
Simply –
Water for an omelet and add small cold nobs of butter
Milk slows down the coagulation and adds to much moisture.
Once the coagulation begins , then introduce the fat for moisture and fluffiness.
Milk, half-and-half or heavy cream for scrambled will make the eggs thick and rich
Salt them before cooking – It effects the charge on the proteins and prevents over coagulation.