"New from the Kitchen"
Recipe of the Month - April 2020
As part of celebrating our 25 years in business, this past November we hosted a "formal" French wine dinner for 24 guests. Typically, the fifth course after the Main is a salad. For ours, we prepared a wonderful fresh frisee with pancetta vinaigrette and topped with a poached egg. Since we were doing the salad for 24 we found, with a little experimenting, we could partially cook the eggs several hour ahead of time and finish just before serving. Wow did that make it easier. The salad makes a wonderful presentation and the creamy unctuousness of the egg just added to the enjoyment.
Now is a good time for experimenting in the kitchen! Stay safe and healthy.
To good times with great food,
Patty
For a serving for 4:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1 X 1/4 inch pieces or slab bacon
1 medium shallot finely chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 large heads of frisee, torn into bite size pieces
Fleur de sel
2 tablespoons 1 1/2 inch pieces of fresh chives
Instructions:
For the eggs:
- Pour water into a large saucepan to a depth of 2" and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so water is at a gentle simmer and add white vinegar - this helps the egg whites stay compact.
- Crack an egg into a small bowl and then gently slide it into the water. Repeat with remaining eggs, waiting about 30 seconds apart as the whites start to set.
- Cook the eggs for 2 minutes until whites are just set and quickly remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl with ice water and place in the refrigerator. You can do this several hours ahead even overnight
- Once the salad is ready simply repeat step one and cook the eggs for 1 minute.
For the salad:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered and pancetta is starting to brown - about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add shallot, season with kosher salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallot is translucent and softened but hasn't taken on any color, about 5 minutes. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Place frisee in a large bowl and drizzle ward vinaigrette over the top. Gently toss until frisee is evenly dressed and slightly wilted and season with fleur de sel and pepper. Add lardons.
- Divide the frisee salad among plates and carefully set a poached egg atop each. Season eggs with fleur del sel and pepper and scatter chives on top.
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