Neapolitan Moulded Eggs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 4-fluid-ounce (120 ml) metal brioche or dariole moulds
• •Deep roasting pan for the Bain-Marie
• •Shallow 1 1/2-quart (1.4 L) gratin dish
• •10-inch (25 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Flexible heatproof spatula
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the moulds

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the middle. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml / 21 g) of the butter to coat four 4-fluid-ounce (120 ml) brioche or dariole moulds generously, working it into every flute, then butter a shallow gratin dish. Set a folded kitchen towel in a deep roasting pan and stand the moulds on it; the towel keeps them from skating when the water is poured. Separate five eggs into one bowl and the remaining two into another.

2. 2

   Reduce the demi-glace

   Combine the veal demi-glace and tomato passata in a small heavy saucepan. Bring them to a quiet simmer and reduce for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until about 1 cup (240 ml) remains and the sauce coats a spoon without running away at once. Keep the heat moderate so the tomato sweetens rather than catches. Set the reduction aside off the heat; the final butter goes in only after the eggs are unmoulded.

3. 3

   Scramble five eggs

   Whisk the five eggs with 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) of the salt and all the white pepper, just until no streaks remain. Melt 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and stir continuously with a flexible spatula, sweeping the pan floor and folding the soft curds over themselves. Stop while the eggs are still very loose, glossy, and visibly wet between the curds. Scrape them immediately into a cool bowl and fold in 1/2 cup (120 ml / 47 g) Parmesan. If the curds tighten too quickly, stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the two reserved beaten eggs as soon as they reach the cool bowl; this arrests the cooking without changing the five-to-two ratio. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Bind the egg base

   Let the soft scramble stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until warm rather than hot. Whisk the two reserved raw eggs until fluid, then fold them gently into the scrambled eggs. The preparation should look alarmingly loose, with soft curds suspended in raw egg. It is exactly right. Taste a small cooked dab and add some of the remaining salt only if needed, remembering that the Parmesan and demi-glace both carry salt.

5. 5

   Poach in Bain-Marie

   Divide the egg preparation among the buttered moulds, filling each about three-quarters full. Pour the just-boiled water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the moulds, cover the pan loosely with foil, and transfer it carefully to the oven. Poach for 18 to 24 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre trembles as one tender mass rather than rippling like liquid. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre should register at least 160°F (71°C). The water must never boil hard; if bubbles begin breaking around the moulds, lower the oven to 300°F (150°C) and add a little cool water to the bath. Gentle heat keeps the eggs smooth.

6. 6

   Turn out the moulds

   Lift the moulds from the Bain-Marie and rest them for 2 minutes. Run a thin blunt knife just around each rim, place the buttered gratin dish over the moulds one at a time, and invert decisively. Lift each mould straight up. If an egg clings, wrap the outside of its mould in a hot damp towel for 15 seconds and try again; don't dig at the sides, because the heat will release the butter more cleanly than a knife.

7. 7

   Mount the sauce

   Return the tomato demi-glace to a bare simmer. If it has tightened beyond a spoon-coating consistency, loosen it with a spoonful of hot water. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 ml / 35 g) butter a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and rounded. This is monter au beurre, finishing with butter, and boiling afterward will break its sheen. If it does split, whisk 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cool water in a clean saucepan, then add the sauce back gradually over the gentlest heat. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Glaze the eggs

   Heat the broiler fully. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml / 23 g) Parmesan over the moulded eggs, then spoon the tomato-rich, buttered demi-glace over them so every dome is coated and a little sauce pools in the gratin dish. Complete the finishing application of Gratins (No. 268), setting the dish about 6 inches (15 cm) beneath the broiler for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the sauce gleams, the Parmesan freckles lightly, and the edge bubbles. Don't wait for a hard crust, because the eggs are already cooked. Bring the gratin dish straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a prepared demi-glace made from veal or beef stock with enough natural gelatin to set softly when cold. A salty bouillon thickened heavily with starch turns pasty as it reduces. If using concentrated demi-glace, dilute it according to its instructions before measuring the required cup.
• •Metal brioche moulds give the classical fluted shape and release cleanly. Straight-sided dariole moulds are an honest equivalent. Small ceramic ramekins work, but they heat more slowly, so allow another 3 to 5 minutes and judge the centre rather than the clock.
• •Good canned passata is the right tomato here. It brings ripe, even flavour without seeds or excess water, and the reduction supplies the concentration that an out-of-season fresh tomato cannot.
• •Serve one mould per person as a rich first course or brunch dish, with crisp toast for the sauce. A dry Champagne or a lively, lightly chilled Gamay has enough freshness for the eggs, Parmesan, and demi-glace without quarrelling with the tomato.

Advance Preparation

• •Reduce the demi-glace and tomato passata up to 2 days ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it covered. Reheat gently and mount it with the butter only when the eggs have been unmoulded.
• •The moulds and gratin dish may be buttered, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead. Grate and divide the Parmesan at the same time.
• •Do not prepare the scrambled egg base in advance. Eggs continue tightening as they stand, so begin that stage about 30 minutes before serving and carry the dish directly through poaching and glazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)