Stuffed Eggs with Curry, Crab and Snow Peas
Cool, curry-spiced stuffed eggs you could serve at brunch or bring to a potluck. To make 24 stuffed eggs, I cooked 15 eggs, not 12. The yolks from the additional three eggs will bulk up the filling. The extra cooked egg-white halves are backup just in case any get damaged when cutting.
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 9 minutes Makes: 24 stuffed eggs 15 large eggs, at room temperature
- baby salad greens or shredded leaf or head lettuce (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
- salt to taste 3/4 cup (about 100 grams) fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned crabmeat (see Note and Options) 8 blanched snow peas cut, on the bias, into 6 strips (see Note)
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the eggs to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, where the surface of the water is just moving and small bubbles rise and break on the surface. Lower heat as needed to maintain gentle boil. (Don't rapidly boil the eggs. They'll cook unevenly, bounce around and knock into each other.)
The moment the eggs reach a gentle boil, set a timer for nine minutes. (Most hard-boiled egg recipes call for 10 minutes, but when the eggs are at room temperature, I take a minute off that time.)
When the timer goes off, remove from heat, drain the eggs and fill the pot with ice-cold water. Chill for two to three minutes, until the eggs have cooled but are not icy cold. (This amount of time will cause the interior of the egg to contract from the shell, making it easier to peel. Do not leave the eggs too long in the cold water. When very cold, they can be more difficult to peel.) Tap the egg on the bottom and top of the shell; gently roll between your hands and then peel.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl. Mash egg yolks until as smooth as possible. (I mashed the eggs in the bowl of my stand mixer using the paddle attachment.) Mix in mayonnaise and whip until smooth. Mix in curry powder, lemon or lime juice and salt. Unless it's designed for holding stuffed eggs, line a serving plate with salad greens or shredded lettuce. Arrange the 24 best-looking egg halves on the plate.
Pipe or spoon the filling into the egg halves. Refrigerate eggs until the filling is set, then tent with plastic wrap until needed. (Can be made several hours in advance.)
When ready to serve, garnish each egg with a piece of crabmeat and two slices of snow pea.
Note: Be sure to use crabmeat with noticeable bits of leg meat, as they'll look nicer on the eggs than flakes of crabmeat. If using canned or thawed crabmeat, be sure to drain it well and pat it dry.
To blanch the snow peas, cook in boiling water 30 seconds. Cool in ice-cold water and drain again.
Options: Instead of crab, garnish each egg with two small cooked salad shrimp. Pat them dry first.
Poached Egg on Cherry Tomato Tart with Pesto Hollandaise
The puff pastry vol-au-vent, also called patty shells, used in this recipe is sold frozen at most supermarkets. The brand I used was Tenderflake.
Each package contains six vol-au-vent, what you'll need for this recipe. Serve the eggs with some good sausages, or perhaps with a salad, and you'll create a nice meal for brunch.
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
For the tarts:
1 (300-gram) frozen package vol-au-vent, thawed
- all-purpose flour for rolling
12 cherry tomatoes, each quartered
6 tsp olive oil
- coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface. Gently roll a vol-au-vent into a five-inch round (it does not have to be perfectly shaped), and then set on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining vol-au-vent.
Top each vol-au-vent with eight quarter pieces of cherry tomato. Drizzle each vol-au-vent with 1 tsp olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the vol-au-vent 15 minutes (this will make them puff better when baked.)
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the vol-au-vent 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove tarts from the oven, cool to temperature and cover until needed.
Tarts can be made several hours before needed
For the sauce and eggs:
3 large eggs yolks
2 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp homemade or storebought pesto, or to taste
salt and white pepper to taste
6 basil or Italian parsley sprigs for garnish
6 large eggs
To make hollandaise, place egg yolks, wine and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over, not in, simmering water. Rapidly whisk until light and thick as shaving cream. Remove from heat. Secure the bowl on a dampened kitchen towel.
Very, very slowly whisk in the melted butter, dribbling in a little at a time. Whisk in the pesto. Taste sauce and then season with salt and white pepper. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and reserve sauce in a warm (not hot) place until the eggs are poached.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Bring a large, wide pot of water to a gentle simmer with a splash of white vinegar.
When the oven is hot, set the cherry tomato tarts in the oven to warm up. When the water is simmering, poach the eggs to desired doneness.
To serve, set a cherry tomato tart on each of six plates. Set a well-drained poached egg in the centre of each tart. Divide and top each egg with hollandaise.
Garnish each plate with basil or parley sprig and serve.
Scrambled Eggs on Potato Pancakes with Smotked Salmon, Sour Cream and Chives
Quick-to-cook eggs, set on make-ahead potato pancakes, both accented with silky smoked salmon. If your guests have very hearty appetites, you could double the potato pancake recipe and serve two pancakes per person.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 12 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
For the pancakes 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated, peeled Yukon gold (yellow-fleshed) potato (about 2 to 3 medium potatoes)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp light cream or milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
- white pepper to taste
- pinch ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
Rinse the potatoes in a few changes of cold water. Drain well, squeeze out the excess moisture, dry on a paper towel and place in a bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients, except the oil.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium, to mediumhigh heat. Scoop out 1/3 cup of potato mixture, set on one side of the skillet, and shape into a cake about four-inches round and 3/4-inch thick. Repeat that step twice more. Cook those three potato cakes three to four minutes per side, until crisp and golden and the potatoes are cooked through. Set the potato cakes on the baking sheet. Place the remaining oil in the skillet. Divide the remaining potato mixture into three more cakes, cook them as you did the first three, and then set on the baking sheet.
Cool potato cakes to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until needed. Potato cakes can be made a day before needed.
For the eggs and toppings:
12 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
- salt and white pepper to taste
12 thin slices cold smoked salmon (often called lox)
2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives, plus some stems of chive for garnish (see Note)
6 Tbsp sour cream, or to taste
Preheat the oven 300 F. Place the potato pancakes in the oven to heat through.
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and beat until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined. Mix in the milk, salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Add the egg mixture.
As the eggs begin to set on the bottom, gently move a heatproof spatula across the bottom and sides of the pan to form large, soft curds. Continue cooking until the eggs are cooked, but still moist, with no visible liquid egg remaining.
Set a potato pancake on each of 6 plates. Arrange two slices of smoked salmon on top of each potato pancake. Divide and top the salmon with scrambled eggs. Set a dollop of sour cream on top of each mound of eggs. Sprinkle with chives, garnish with some longer stems of chive, and serve.
Note: If you can't find chives, you could use sliced green onion in this recipe.
