Poached Egg with Curly Endive Salad
A poached egg is easily cooked, incredibly nutritious, economical, and easily served at any meal. Poached eggs perched on a buttered toasted slice of tender bread is a perfect breakfast; a shimmering bowl of chicken broth served with an egg poached in it is a nourishing lunch that can generate a warm sense of well-being; and curly endive tossed in a warm vinaigrette with bacon and topped with a poached egg is a favorite dinner salad of mine—the egg enriching the vinaigrette as it coats the leaves. A poached egg is cracked from its shell and cooked in water, stock, or, sometimes, wine until the white has just solidified and the yolk has heated through. The poaching liquid should be very hot, but without any bubbles breaking the surface. This gentle still heat keeps the white tender and helps the egg keep its shape while cooking. Fresh eggs are best. A fresh egg cracked onto a plate has a thick, jellylike white that clings to the deep orange yolk, which stands up plump and high. As eggs age, their flavor dissipates and their whites thin out to the point of being watery at the edges, making it difficult to poach one with any success. Use a heavy pan for even heat dispersal, which helps keep the eggs from sticking to the bottom. If a heavy pan is not available, use a flame tamer. A relatively shallow pan will make it easier to remove the eggs from the hot water. I use a low-sided saucepan. Fill the pan with water 2 to 3 inches deep, add a large splash of vinegar, and put the pan over a medium fire. The vinegar speeds the coagulation of the whites, keeping them from billowing out into the water. Use good-tasting vinegar, as you will be able to taste it slightly. I add about 1 tablespoon to 4 cups of water, but if you particularly like the flavor of vinegar on your eggs (and it is delicious), add more. When poaching eggs in soup or broth don’t use the vinegar. Carefully, without breaking the yolks, crack the eggs into individual cups or small bowls. This way you can easily remove any fragments of eggshell and it will be easier to slip each egg gently into the water; and if you do break a yolk, you can set it aside for another use. When the water is very hot, but not bubbling, hold the cup right at the level of the water and carefully slide the egg in. This gentle entry into the water will help the egg keep its shape. After a minute you can gently stir the water a while to discourage the eggs from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Use care, though; the eggs are very delicate until the whites are set. Lower the heat if the water begins to simmer. The cooking time will vary depending on the number of eggs, their size, and the temperature they were when they went into the water. On average, a single large egg straight from the refrigerator will take about 3 minutes to cook. The white will be set but the yolk will still be soft; for a firmer yolk allow up to 5 minutes. Test for doneness by gently lifting the egg with a slotted spoon and pressing it gently with your finger to feel how set the white and yolk are. Carefully remove the cooked eggs and drain for a moment on a towel, blotting the top very gently to dry. When cooking for a crowd, freshly poached eggs can be kept for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water or stock while another batch is being cooked.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the dark green outer leaves from: 2 large heads of curly endive (frisée). Separate into individual leaves and wash and dry well. Cut into 1/3-inch pieces: 2 bacon slices. Warm in a small heavy pan, over medium heat: 2 teaspoons olive oil.
Step 2
Add the bacon pieces and cook until brown and rendered, but not crisp. Remove from the pan. Pour off the fat from the pan and reserve. To make the dressing, mix together: 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper, 1 garlic clove, crushed. Whisk in: 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons bacon fat.
Step 3
Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed. Fill a heavy saucepan with 4 cups of water and add: 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Heat to just below a simmer and slide in: 4 eggs, cracked from their shells.
Step 4
Poach for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and keep warm. Put the vinaigrette into a large bowl (remove the crushed garlic clove), add the bacon, and put the bowl over the pan of hot water to warm. Add the greens and toss well. Divide the greens among 4 warm plates. Gently blot the eggs dry, and put 1 egg on top of each salad. Grind a little black pepper over the top and serve immediately.
Variations
Step 5
Other greens work well in this salad: try spinach, escarole, dandelion greens, or tender radicchio varieties such as Castelfranco or Sugar Loaf.
Step 6
The warm salad can be served without poached eggs.
Step 7
Omit the bacon, increasing the amount of olive oil in the dressing to make up for the loss of bacon fat.
Step 8
Make some rustic croutons and toss them while still hot with fine-chopped garlic. Dress the croutons with a little vinaigrette and toss with the greens.
notes
Step 9
A freshly laid organic egg simply poached is an incomparable delicacy.
Step 10
Eggshell fragments can be easily retrieved, scooped up with half a broken eggshell.
