Cold Eggs à la Reine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan with lid
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve and dampened paper towel
• •Balloon whisk and medium mixing bowl
• •Fine ½-inch / 1 cm food-safe pastry brush
• •Wire rack and rimmed tray

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach chicken, set aspic

   Put the chicken breast and stock in a small saucepan; the stock should nearly cover the meat. Bring it slowly to the barest simmer, cover, and poach gently until the centre reaches 165°F / 74°C, about 12 to 15 minutes. Lift out the chicken, cool it promptly, then refrigerate it. Strain the stock through a fine sieve lined with a dampened paper towel and measure 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g). Bloom the gelatin in the cold water for 5 minutes, pour the hot measured stock over it, and stir until completely dissolved. Season lightly with some of the salt, then refrigerate until cool but still fluid, checking after 20 minutes.

   Don't boil the stock after adding gelatin. A hard boil clouds the aspic and weakens its clean set; gentle heat is enough.
2. 2

   Cook the œufs mollets

   For œufs mollets, soft-boiled eggs with firm whites and creamy yolks, lower the four eggs into gently boiling water and cook for 6½ minutes. Transfer them immediately to an ice bath and leave them for 10 minutes, then peel carefully under cold water and refrigerate. If a little white tears, don't discard the egg. Place that side toward the croustade wall later, and the coating will conceal it.

3. 3

   Refresh the croustades

   Set the finished cottage-brioche Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) on a tray. If storage has softened them, refresh them in a 275°F / 135°C oven for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the inner walls feel dry rather than toasted hard. Cool them completely on a rack. The low oven replaces the brigade's drying box; filling a warm shell would melt the mayonnaise and spoil its crispness.

4. 4

   Monter la mayonnaise

   Whisk the egg yolk with the Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of the vinegar, and a good pinch of the salt. Add the oil first by drops, whisking until the emulsion takes hold, then in a very thin stream until the mayonnaise stands in firm, glossy peaks. If it splits, stop. Ça se rattrape: put the reserved teaspoon of vinegar in a clean bowl, whisk in one teaspoon of the broken mayonnaise until smooth, then rebuild it gradually with the rest. If it never splits, whisk in the reserved vinegar at the end.

5. 5

   Line and nest

   Mince the chilled chicken very finely with a knife, preserving a little texture rather than reducing it to paste. Fold in ⅓ cup (80 ml / 75 g) of the mayonnaise, the cayenne, and enough of the remaining salt to make the mixture taste properly seasoned when cold. Press a thin, even layer over the bottom and sides of each croustade, then settle one peeled egg upright in each shell. Handle them gently; the yolks remain soft.

6. 6

   Thicken and coat

   Make certain the aspic is cool and fluid, roughly the texture of light oil. Whisk 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g) into the remaining mayonnaise, one spoonful at a time, then chill it for 5 minutes, until it falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon. If it forms little gelatin lumps, hold the bowl over lukewarm water for a few seconds and whisk; if it pours too thinly, chill it for another 5 minutes. Coat each egg in a thin, even veil of the thickened mayonnaise.

7. 7

   Set, truffle, glaze

   Lay one fine truffle slice on each coated egg while the mayonnaise is still tacky, then chill for 15 minutes to set the surface. Keep the remaining aspic fluid, warming its bowl briefly over lukewarm water if it firms. With a fine brush, apply one very thin coat over each egg and truffle, chill for 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat twice. Thin coats give a clear gloss; one heavy coat gives a rubbery shell. The repeated glazing is not brigade scaffolding. It is the finish that defines the dish.

8. 8

   Chill and serve

   Chill the finished œufs froids à la reine for at least 1 hour, uncovered until the glaze is firm and then loosely covered. Arrange them on an oval platter lined with a folded white napkin, as the source directs. Take them from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving so the chicken, egg, and truffle can speak clearly, but don't leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Serve one per guest. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The croustades must be fully dry before filling. Brioche that feels pleasantly soft at breakfast turns sodden beneath mayonnaise, so refresh the Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) gently and let them cool completely.
• •Use clear, good-tasting chicken stock. The aspic concentrates whatever the stock brings, and its transparency is part of the dish. If the poaching stock looks cloudy, strain it patiently through a dampened paper towel.
• •A preserved whole black truffle is the honest pantry answer when fresh truffle isn't in season. Slice it very thinly so each guest gets its perfume and dark visual accent; truffle oil cannot perform the same work.
• •Pour a dry Champagne or a mineral white Burgundy. Acidity cuts through the mayonnaise, while the wine remains quiet enough for egg, chicken, and truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach and chill the chicken, make the aspic, and prepare the Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) one day ahead. Keep all three covered separately, and warm the aspic only enough to return it to a fluid state.
• •Cook and peel the eggs up to 6 hours ahead. Keep them covered and refrigerated so their surfaces don't dry.
• •The finished croustades may be assembled and glazed up to 4 hours before serving. Longer storage softens the brioche, so keep the components separate when working a full day ahead.
• •Do not freeze the assembled dish. Freezing damages the mayonnaise emulsion, turns the egg whites watery, and clouds the aspic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)