Printanier Moulded Eggs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 4-ounce (120 ml) hexagonal moulds, metal dariole moulds, or straight-sided ovenproof ramekins
• •Deep 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) roasting tin for the bain-marie
• •3-inch (7.5 cm) round cutter
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small offset palette knife or fine paring knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the moulds

   Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter four 4-ounce (120 ml) hexagonal moulds, metal dariole moulds, or straight-sided ramekins generously, carrying the butter right into every corner. Set them in a deep roasting tin and bring a kettle of water almost to the boil for the bain-marie. The butter must be thick enough to hold the vegetable pattern as well as release the eggs.

2. 2

   Blanch each vegetable

   Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add the tablespoon of salt. Cook each vegetable separately in the same water, lifting it into ice water before adding the next: turnip for about 90 seconds, carrot for 2 minutes, green beans for 90 seconds, and peas for 30 seconds. They should be cooked but still firm, because soft vegetables lose their edges against the egg. Drain them and pat them completely dry; damp pieces will slide off the buttered mould.

3. 3

   Build the Chartreuse lining

   Use the vegetable arrangement of Chartreuse de Ris de Veau (No. 1220) as the model, reduced to four individual moulds. Press a pea or turnip diamond into the centre of each base, surround it with alternating carrot, turnip, bean, and pea shapes, then continue the pattern up the sides in neat bands. Small gaps are welcome, because the egg white must reach the mould and bind the mosaic. If the pieces slide, the butter or vegetables are too warm; dry the vegetables again, chill the moulds for 3 minutes, and reset them. Refrigerate the finished moulds for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Mix Printanier butter

   Work the 2 1/2 tablespoons (36 g) softened butter with the chervil, chives, and parsley until the herbs are evenly dispersed. This is the Printanier butter with herbs that finishes the sauce, not a garnish scattered on afterward. Keep it cool but pliable while you make the cream sauce.

5. 5

   Build the cream sauce

   Melt the tablespoon of butter in the cleaned vegetable saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook the white roux for 90 seconds without letting it colour. Whisk in the milk gradually, then all but 1 teaspoon of the cream. Bring the sauce to the barest simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, whisking often, until smooth, ivory, and thick enough to coat a spoon while still pouring freely. If it has lumps, pass it through a fine sieve. Measure the sauce: reduce it gently if you have more than 3/4 cup (180 ml), or loosen it with a spoonful of water if you have less. Cover its surface and set it aside off the heat.

6. 6

   Toast the bread rounds

   Cut four bread rounds just wider than the mouths of the moulds. Brush both sides lightly with melted butter and toast them in a skillet over medium heat until evenly golden and crisp at the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange the rounds in a circle on a warmed serving dish. They are supports for the eggs, but they also catch the sauce, so pale or soft toast won't do.

7. 7

   Poach in the bain-marie

   Crack each egg first into a small cup, then slide it carefully into a chilled lined mould without disturbing the vegetables. Season with the remaining salt and white pepper. Set the roasting tin in the oven and pour in very hot water to reach halfway up the moulds. Poach for 10 to 13 minutes, until the whites are opaque and softly set while the yolks still give beneath a gentle touch. The water must barely tremble. If it begins bubbling, pull out the tin and replace a cupful of bath water with cool water before the whites toughen. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Finish and turn out

   Warm the cream sauce gently without boiling, then remove it from the heat. Whisk in the 2 1/2 tablespoons (36 g) of Printanier butter a little at a time until the sauce gleams and the herbs are suspended through it; this preserves the book's proportion of herb butter to 3/4 cup (180 ml) sauce. If the sauce turns oily, put the reserved teaspoon of cold cream in a clean warm bowl and whisk in the broken sauce one spoonful at a time until it comes together. Lift the moulds from the bath, rest them for 30 seconds, and loosen only the top edge with a fine knife. Invert each egg onto a toast round. If one clings, lay a hot damp cloth over the mould for 10 seconds and try again. Pour the cream sauce into the middle of the circle, allowing it to meet the toast without hiding the vegetable mosaic. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Hexagonal moulds are handsome, but don't let their absence stop the dish. Four 4-ounce (120 ml) metal dariole moulds give the cleanest release; straight-sided ovenproof ramekins work if they are buttered generously.
• •Fresh peas are lovely when their season is honest. At any other time, use frozen petite peas straight from the classical pantry; they were picked sweet and will keep a brighter green than tired peas sold as fresh.
• •Choose evenly sized eggs and bring them to room temperature so all four finish together. For guests who require fully cooked yolks, use pasteurized shell eggs or continue poaching until the centres reach 160°F (71°C), knowing the yolks will be firm.
• •A dry Sancerre or another restrained Loire Sauvignon Blanc suits the herbs, egg, and cream without bullying them. Pour modest glasses; this is a first course with more meal behind it.

Advance Preparation

• •Blanch, cut, and dry the vegetables up to 24 hours ahead. Keep each colour separately in a covered container in the refrigerator so the turnip stays white and the peas and beans stay green.
• •The Printanier butter can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it soften until pliable before whisking it into the sauce.
• •Make the cream sauce base up to 8 hours ahead, without adding the Printanier butter. Press parchment directly against its surface, chill it promptly, and reheat it gently before finishing.
• •Cut the toast rounds earlier in the day, but toast them shortly before serving. Poach the eggs only when the guests are ready; moulded eggs wait badly and the yolks continue to set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)