It’s a day that ends in “y,” which means I have acquired another cooking guide: “In the Green Kitchen,” by Alice Waters.
This book has instructions on how to make a poached egg, so I figured that’s what I’ll try this morning. Even better, there was a serving suggestion that sounded perfect: poached egg on bruschetta. I had some challah leftover from Friday night, so I gave that suggestion that a go. It resulted in a satisfying but fresh and summery breakfast, despite the dreary weather happening while I was making it.
Poached eggs are weird. I was not at all confident that I was doing it right at first, so I did a test egg before I went and messed up my pretty challah bruschetta. I brought a pot of salted water, about 2-3 inches deep, to a low not-quite-simmer, where no bubbles are breaking the surface of the water. If Alice Waters and her crew have taught me anything, it’s to make sure water is properly salted to that it actually imparts flavor on the food that is being cooked in it. Don’t be shy, salt that water. It should taste nicely salty when you test it.
Before you get going with the eggs, make the bruschetta. Dice a ripe tomato, and mix in a bowl with one or two thickly sliced garlic cloves, a few tablespoons of chopped parsley, a splash of vinegar (I used prosecco vinegar), and a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Let it sit and absorb the flavors. I also added a tiny pinch of salt.
Now you’re ready for the weirdness. Crack the egg into a glass or bowl (I used a teacup) and slide it into the water. Cook in the water until the whites are set, about 5-7 minutes. I should have taken a picture of this part–I will next time and will update the post. The egg looked WEIRD. The whites were sort of suspended in the water. Most of them eventually settled down to where the yolk was, but the whole thing still had this ephemeral floating-ghost-robes quality.
While the egg is cooking, toast a slice of challah.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and dry on a towel (not a paper towel- the paper will stick to it. Use cloth). Assemble the challah bruschetta (make sure not to include the slices of garlic or someone will get a spicy surprise) and place the poached egg on top. I also served this with leftover navy beans from Friday’s dinner, with a little parsley from the garden sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
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