Shirred Eggs

Eggs are a component of all of my favorite Breakfast dishes.  In France this dish is named Oefs en Cocotte.  I got turned on to Shirred Eggs through my classwork.  This method takes soft, smooth, creamy eggs one step further by combining small amounts of savory goodness and pinch of elegance.  One great thing about doing eggs this way is you can to all of the prep in advance.  Do them up the night before, seal them up, and then pop them in the oven in the morning.  It makes a great dish if you are cooking a romantic brunch or feeding a group.  I like to serve it with toast sticks for dunking.  Flavor combinations are limited only by your imagination.

Shirred Eggs with Bacon, Mushroom, Shallot & Thyme served with Toast Sticks

Ingredients:
butter (enough to coat ramekin)
2T cream
2ea large eggs
1ea strip bacon (cut small and browned)
2ea crimini mushrooms (fine chop)
1t shallot (very fine chop)
1ea sprig fresh thyme (leaves only)
1/2t parsmesan cheese (finely shredded)
salt & pepper (to taste)
     ~Garnish:
green onion (sifflet)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Butter ramekin. Pour cream into ramekin and then break eggs into cream mixture.  Set aside.
3. Crisp bacon to desired finish and drain on paper towel.  Cook mushrooms in bacon fat until they begin to release moisture - drain and set aside.
4. Combine cooked bacon and mushrooms with raw shallot.  Evenly distribute this mixture over the top of the eggs and whites.  Top with thyme, cheese, salt & pepper.
5. Bake at 375F for approx. 12-14 minutes or until done.  Garnish and serve.

Yield:
One serving

Notes:

• The trick to custards like this is knowing your oven.  Cook times will vary.  A good custard should jiggle when shaken.  There will be some residual cooking from the ramekin after you remove it from the oven so I recommend taking it out when there is a good amount of jiggle.  If I were doing these for multiples, I'd consider doing them in a water bath to even out the baking temperature.

Boston Baked Beans

I get cravings.  This weekend it is for Boston Baked Beans!  Also, I've been trying to up my folate and fiber intakes so beans give me both of those things.  Not only that, if properly prepared they are soulfully satisfying.  I've been following what I understand to be a British custom of eating beans on toast lately and have been using canned beans done up in a sodium-laden corn syrup based sludge of goo.  I'm of the opinion that everything that comes out of a can tastes like cat-food (and YES, I know what cat-food tastes like... don't ask).  Flavor and Texture - wise, I know I can do better.  My quest this weekend was for a recipe that satisfied my craving for the homey sweet/savory richness of baked beans without the can flavor.

I pulled several recipes from the net... all of which rely heavily on pre-made mixtures.  Finally, I found one that uses ketchup as a base albiet pre-made... until I get a ketchup recipe I'm happy with, I'm happy to use what's out there... a few mods to the base recipe... I'm off and running.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups kidney beans
• Sachet:
• 4-6 sprigs thyme
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 whole clove
• 1 whole bay leaf

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper - toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard - toasted
• 2 tsp Adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water and add sachet.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with raw bacon and onion.  Repeat layers of beans, onions, bacon, ...ending with beans.
4. In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Adobo, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.