Many years ago I read The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, by Jacques Pepin. I had thought I didn't like him personally, but the book really drew me in. I loved it.I don't know where my copy of the book is now. Poo.
But I remember one dish he described, cooked by his mother I think. It was stuffed eggs, fried stuff-side down.
M. Pepin said he couldn't recall anyone, anywhere, doing this treatment. It was singular to his family, he believed; a humble, rustic meal.
It's really rather logical, actually, and I wouldn't be surprised if other home cooks also use this technique to elevate a simple egg dish.
But I didn't have the book, so I didn't have the recipe.
For Cranky's birthday month, he suddenly blurted that he'd like to have the fried stuffed eggs.
I stepped up to the stove.
No, Cranky stepped up first. He is a master at hard-cooked eggs.
Then I took over and made a melange of the yolks. Just on instinct, I chopped a scallion, a few olives, and some parsley leaves. A crack of pepper. A squirt of olive oil. Nope, still not unctuous enough. I added a spoonful of mayonnaise.
Stuffed this mess back into the egg whites.
In an oiled, non-stick skillet, I gently fried the eggs, stuffing side down, until they browned slightly. Doesn't take long. If your eggs are cold, or even just cool room temp, you can warm them through by putting a lid on the skillet briefly.
Wow. Charming, with a crunchy, wintry salad of lettuce and orange segments.
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30 comments:
Unctuous - wonderful word is it not?
Nice cackleberries!
And here I just boiled six eggs last night, and was wondering what to do with them, as the usual pickle-relish-and-horseradish filling wasn't quite as appealing as usual, this cold January day. Thanks for the suggestion!
Morgan: I spelled it right? :)
Elizabeth: Just think of flavorings that you'd like to eat warm, and then warm the cold eggs. Perfect.
A very interesting preparation - fried, hard-cooked eggs! Another one I'd never have thought of but will enjoy trying. I like the idea of serving them with a salad, too. Youse so cool, Cookie!
Of course you did!
Morgan: I know. Why do I have a food blog, when I'd be much happier having a word blog. xoxo
Zoomie: I truly do believe you'll give this a try. It's rather "tapas," kind of "bistro."
Yum.
And yes, Cranky is indeed the master of the hard boiled egg. Whenever I follow his directions, mine come out perfect. (My goof is in usually forgetting how long it has been since I first put them on. Who has time for those pesky kind of details?)
Yum yum yum...What an inspiration! I just bought a flat of range free eggs and have been having a lot of fun with fixing them in various ways. Guess what's for dinner tomorrow?
Let's date at Vin Antico. They have a fab egg dish.
happy birthday month!
CC,
I don't recall the recipe, but I too was quite taken by Pepin after reading the book.
That does it! I can lurk no longer! Your page is the BEST! I read that same recipe a few years back. I made a mental note of it, but that's where it ended. We've got boiled eggs in the fridge, so guess what we're having for dinner?
I kind of love it...the dish has sort of a comforting, southern feel about it. Despite the french origins!
Amazing what we can crank out (no pun intended) when we cook by instinct.
I love LOVE deviled eggs and might need to see how this tastes. Seriously, I could hurt myself on fried deviled eggs.
Kailyn: Ever heard of an egg timer? DING! :)
Nancy: I'm glad our good timing -- my post and your purchase -- coincided.
Catherine: Yes! That's it! I want to.
Kevin: He's led a very ambitious life; deserves all he's earned. (I wonder if I lent that book to my mom...)
WestEndChris: Out of the closet at last. Welcome. Glad I jogged your memory.
Yeah, these little warm eggs are kind of suppery.
Laura: And I think that for Pepin, they always evoked memories of mother and home. Nice.
Heather: Well, if you're going to call them "fried deviled eggs"! It just occurred to me that you'll probably jazz up the filling with Korean flavors, and that really turns me on. Let us know.
What do you think would happen if you deep fried a whole hard-cooked egg? I was just thinking about that the other day.
spiteful chef- they are called 'scottish eggs.' and they are yummy.
whoops- jumping the gun a little bit...minus the sausage. thats what we called 'em, with or without the extra encasing.
Spiteful: You'd get a Scotch egg. Especially if you pack sausage and breadcrumbs all around it first, in a roughly egg-shaped shape.
Pea: Hah! Thanks. I had never heard of a naked Scotch egg.
"He is a master at hard-cooked eggs".........ouef that could be interpreted a few ways!
Yeah, I read that book too and simply fell in love with the man. Way to go remembering the outlines of the dish and pulling it off. Simply awesome.
I see that you’re interested and fascinated in food stuffs. These eggs grandmere seems delicious. You see, we have this food site Foodista.com that is a food and cooking encyclopaedia that everyone and anyone can edit. Maybe you are interested in sharing some of recipes to us or share your knowledge about food stuffs and techniques. Not only that you help us and other people in tasting new recipes but your submitted recipes will be raffled. You will have a chance to win $100 gift card to Sur La Table by just sharing your recipes to all. One entry per recipe, the more you submit recipes the better your chances. Click HERE for more info about the drawing. Or maybe you can try our link back system at Foodista an easy way to get link backs between two food related sites, if you’re not into sharing your recipes or knowledge. Enjoy and see you there!
Monkey Wrangler: Thanks for the props! Too kind. It was an easy figure-out.
How are the monkeys? You gonna buy them some sea monkeys? :D
Mr. and Mrs. Sound: Huh, yeah, right.
This recipe of Jacques has shown up through many of his writings, and in some of his shows. I have one of his early books, and he has this recipe there. And in one of his later books too, Chez Jacques. It seems to be a common thread in his life, going back to the cooking of his mother.
Christine: Thank you for that information. It makes the recipe even more dear. Wow, what a sentimentalist he is. xoxo
Funny, I don't like M. Pepin personally, but that's from one-on-one experience.
I do, however, greatly respect his know-how and his teaching skills.
Michael: Mine's from one-on-one, too. Twice. Dick.
The book's charming (and I like his recipes). But I still don't like him personally. :)
I am making these with the dozen fresh eggs my friend sent my way. (Raised them himself, he did.)I will report back only if complaints are in order.
AHiker: Where you been? :)
You'll find them easy and comforting.
I wish I had a neighbor with an abundance of fresh yard eggs.
She's mad and she has good recipes.
I said I'd only report back if it didn't work, but I lied. My ingredients were what I had around -- mayo, a little dry mustard, balsamic vinegar, swiss chard, peppers, and onion from the garden (just a little of those three & finely chopped). Short fry. Well, wow. I'm going to impress the hell out of some visitors this Wednesday. Thanks!
aHiker: How cool. Such clever improvisation (and thanks for giving me the courage to explore new versions). I'm so glad you liked it. :-)
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