Poached Eggs à la Comtesse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 4-inch (10 cm) fluted tartlet tins with removable bases
• •Rolling pin and parchment paper
• •Pie weights or dried beans
• •Small food processor or immersion blender
• •1-quart (1 L) heavy saucepan
• •3-quart (3 L) shallow saucepan for poaching
• •Fine-mesh sieve and slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pâte brisée

   Mix the flour and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few small flakes of butter remaining. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water and toss gently; add the final tablespoon only if dry flour remains. Press the dough together without kneading, flatten it into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the dough so the shells stay tender instead of shrinking.

2. 2

   Blind-bake the tartlets

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each between sheets of parchment to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Line four 4-inch (10 cm) tartlet tins, pressing the dough into the corners without stretching it; save the scraps and chill the lined tins for 15 minutes. Line with parchment, fill with baking weights, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the rims are pale gold. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the bases are dry and butter gold. If a shell cracks, press a thin scrap of raw dough over the gap while it is still hot and return it to the oven for 3 minutes. A neat repair is better than a leaking tartlet.

3. 3

   Concentrate the asparagus

   If using fresh asparagus, peel each stalk carefully from just below the tip to the base, then simmer it in lightly salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, until a knife passes through without resistance. Preserved asparagus needs no cooking; rinse it briefly to remove the packing liquid. Drain either kind thoroughly, press gently between clean towels, and chop. Purée with the cream and butter until smooth, then stir in a wide pan over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the purée holds a soft mound on the spoon. Season with salt and white pepper. If it remains loose, keep stirring over gentle heat. Ça se rattrape, and starch does not belong in it.

4. 4

   Build the velouté

   Melt the butter for the Sauce Allemande in a small heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook this blond roux for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Add the stock a little at a time, whisking each addition smooth before the next, then bring it to the barest simmer. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the velouté coats the back of a spoon. If lumps form, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in a spoonful of cold stock; pass the sauce through a fine sieve if any persist.

5. 5

   Finish Sauce Allemande

   Whisk the egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of the cream, reserving 1 tablespoon cold. Slowly whisk about one-third of the hot velouté into this liaison, the egg yolk and cream thickener, then return everything to the saucepan. Stir over low heat until the Sauce Allemande is nappant (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), about 3 minutes, or until it reaches 170°F (77°C). Never let it boil. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and cold butter, then season with salt and white pepper. If the sauce turns grainy, stop the heat immediately, whisk in the reserved cold cream, and strain without scraping the pan bottom. Ça se rattrape. Hold it over a pan of warm water for no longer than 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Warm the components

   Lower the oven to 300°F (150°C) and warm the tartlet shells for 4 minutes. Keep the asparagus purée covered over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, and set four plates somewhere warm. Keep the shells, purée, and sauce separate until the eggs are ready; filling the tartlets early softens the pastry.

7. 7

   Poach the eggs softly

   Bring the water and vinegar to 180 to 190°F (82 to 88°C), with only an occasional lazy bubble. Crack each egg into a small cup, then tip it into a fine-mesh sieve for about 10 seconds to shed the watery outer white. Slide in two eggs at a time and poach for 3 to 3½ minutes, gently folding any wandering white toward the yolk with a spoon. The white should be set and the yolk supple. Lift each egg with a slotted spoon, trim any ragged fringe, and drain it on a clean towel for 10 seconds. Water left underneath will dilute the purée and spoil the crisp shell.

8. 8

   Assemble and serve

   Set each warm tartlet shell on a plate and fill it with one-quarter of the white asparagus purée, smoothing the top without packing it down. Place a drained poached egg in the centre. Spoon over enough Sauce Allemande to mask the egg while leaving the golden rim of pastry visible, then shower it with the very black chopped truffle. Serve immediately, while the shell is crisp, the sauce glossy, and the yolk ready to run. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fresh white asparagus is the first choice when its season and quality are right. Outside that moment, good preserved white asparagus is the classical pantry's honest answer; drain it very well and concentrate the purée in the pan.
• •Use white veal stock if you have it. Unsalted light chicken stock is the practical home equivalent, but avoid brown roasted stock or bouillon with caramel colouring, which turns the Sauce Allemande muddy and overwhelms the asparagus.
• •Buy fresh black Périgord truffle or a good whole preserved truffle and chop it just before serving. Truffle oil cannot replace the chopped truffle here; the dark pieces, their texture, and their aroma are part of the prescribed garnish.
• •For guests who should avoid undercooked eggs, use pasteurized shell eggs or poach until the yolks are fully set. The result will be firmer than the dish intends, but safety comes first.
• •Serve with brut Champagne or a restrained white Burgundy. The wine should refresh the cream and yolk without bullying the asparagus or truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the tartlet shells up to one day ahead. Cool them completely and keep them airtight, then refresh them for 4 minutes at 300°F (150°C) before serving.
• •Make the asparagus purée and the plain velouté base up to one day ahead, chill them separately, and reheat gently. Add the egg yolk and cream liaison to the velouté shortly before serving.
• •The eggs may be poached up to 2 hours ahead, transferred directly to iced water, drained, and refrigerated. Reheat them for 45 to 60 seconds in water at about 170°F (77°C), then dry them carefully before assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)