Poach

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Crisp, freshly cooked shrimp are wrapped in prosciutto slices, then set atop a salad of roasted peppers, garbanzo beans and artichokes tossed with a tangy dressing.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

When poaching eggs for a crowd, we've found the baking pan method below to be almost foolproof. Have a friend help you wrap the eggs in salmon before they get cold. If you're working on your own, you may want to simply drape the salmon over the eggs.

Using the freshest eggs possible is the key to great poached eggs. This dish makes a savory breakfast or, when paired with a salad, a satisfying brunch.

(Saumon Confit à l'Huile d'Olive, Petite Salade de Roquettes, Vinaigre de Balsamique) The idea to confit salmon is not original to me but one gleaned from kitchen gossip where recipes and experiments from chefs all over the world are discussed. I learned that many chefs were slowly cooking fish in duck fat but I thought that since salmon is so fatty to begin with, it would be better served if it was slowly cooked in something other than animal fat. Copper River salmon is my first choice for this dish but if it isn't available look for Alaska salmon. Both of them are very fatty and the fat really does make a difference as it ensures a very smooth texture in the finished dish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Matt McMillan, Big Bowl's executive chef, threw together these items for his lunch one day. We ran it as a special the next week. It's simple and delicious.

"Sirs: You delight us!" writes Helen Gwyer of Norwalk, Connecticut. "Our Salem ancestors would certainly have burned you as bewitchers of our mental and physical being. But will you tell us how to poach an egg? For years I have tried to achieve the smooth, symmetrical perfection that any French kitchen can turn out with ease. "Will we ever again sit at a little table on the sidewalk at Rumpelmayer's in Menton for petit déjeuner — a poached egg, pâté de foie gras in soft finger rolls, and hot chocolate? "So many recipes call for poached eggs, but can you poach one?"

A pretty and refreshing composed salad that can be made using only one skillet.