One of the first dishes I learned how to make was fried
eggs. My mother, being a clever woman, taught my sisters and I that the best
part of eggs is the play value – as long as you have runny eggs, you can
puncture the yolk with the crusts of your toast. So clearly I had to learn how
to make them for myself as soon as I was allowed near a hot stove (it was
longer than you think. I was a clumsy child, not allowed near hot glue guns or
candles for fear of burning down the house. In retrospect, that was not an
exaggerated fear).
Baked eggs are an extension of my love affair with fried
eggs. I once made a recipe that called for stuffing them inside a tomato with
pesto. This recipe is less time intensive (no hollowing out other foods to act
as a container!) and is better suited to fall when getting good tomatoes, let
alone fresh basil, is nearly impossible. Leeks are sauted before added to ramekins
and topped with an egg. Wait about 10 minutes and you have an adorable and
delicious breakfast. Or dinner. Or brunch. Whatever, it’s versatile, that’s all
I’m saying.
Also, the play value remains intact. You can cook these to
make sure the yolks remain runny, allowing you to chase errant strands of yolk
around each ramekin with toast crusts. Because that is what makes life awesome.
Baked Eggs with Leeks
The hardest part about this recipe is cleaning the leeks.
Make sure you really rinse them well to get all the grit out. My favorite
method of cleaning submerges leeks split down the center and swirling them
around in cool water. The grit should sink to the bottom, leaving you with
clean leeks.
You can also make some easy substitutions to this recipe to cut down on the fat. Feel free to leave off the parmesan. I used one percent milk because I didn't have half and half, and it still tasted great.
Ingredients:
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and
sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons half and half
Salt, butter, and parmesan to taste
Equipment:
Pan, two ramekins or 1 small baking dish (diameter about 3
inches)
Preheat oven to 400. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan and
cook leeks to taste (at least 2 minutes, up to 10 if you want a sweeter, less
crisp bite). Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide remaining butter in half and add to each ramekin or baking container. Cover with leeks. Crack an egg into the container and add half and half. Bake until white is set, between 8 and 12 minutes. Top with
parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve with toast.
Technically this serves two, but I ate both by myself and thought it a perfect portion.
No comments:
Post a Comment