Let's Get Eggy

Any day is a perfect day for making egg dishes, whether for breakfast or for supper. We sometimes eat eggs twice a week, once on Thursday evenings and once on Sunday mornings.

Thursdays we'll look in the refrigerator to see what would be perfect for an omelet. Last week I made great finds in the cheese department of Kroger at Tiger Town. Some really nice cheeses were marked down from $6-8 to $1-3. I grabbed several varieties, one of which found its way into this omelet with prosciutto, shiitake and baby bella mushrooms, and green onion. I choose a Dijon swiss cheese with mustard seed throughout, a perfect tangy, creamy taste to play against the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and the saltiness of the prosciutto. Top with a few bits of green onion, and there's a lovely little crunch to add texture.

The other variation on the theme I would like to share today is a poached egg dish. Now, I've poached eggs old school (here's an example) with just a pan of hot, barely simmering water. You always want to add about one tablespoon of vinegar to help the whites coagulate; and you want the freshest possible eggs, or you'll end up with spider-web threads of egg white. Don't worry, you won't taste the vinegar.

The recipe I made today calls for poaching the egg inside of a ramekin, and I think you could easily make a variety of substitutions in the recipe to accommodate different tastes or to accommodate what's available in your refrigerator or pantry. Now, you obviously don't want to use old eggs, but having the freshest eggs possible isn't as important if you're poaching in a form. You won't need vinegar, either.

I'll share my version of the recipe, which came from Epicurious.com, Skillet Poached Eggs with Prosciutto. There's the link so you can make it their way. I adapted the recipe because I was lacking two ingredients and making two servings instead of four.

Skillet Poached Eggs with Prosciutto

1/2 cup finely chopped green onion tops

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

3 English muffin halves, toasted

3 thin slices prosciutto

3 large eggs

1. Finely chop the green onion tops and combine with olive oil, minced Italian parsley, and salt in a small bowl (can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

2. Toast English muffin halves. Spread each half with 1 tablespoon green onion oil mixture.

3. Divide remaining green onion oil mixture equally among three 1 1/4-cup custard cups or ramekins, reserving a little to brush on top of poached eggs. Using a pastry brush, spread green onion oil mixture over inside of each cup to coat (most of mixture will fall back to the bottom of the cup. Put one slice of prosciutto in the bottom of each cup and place egg on top, being careful not to break the yolk when you crack it. Place cups in a large skillet. Pour enough water into skillet to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

4. Set skillet over medium-high heat and bring water to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently cook eggs until whites are just firm to touch and yolks are set to desired consistency.

5. Using a spatula and oven mitt or hand towel as aids, lift cups with eggs from water. Cut around eggs to loosen. Turn 1 egg with prosciutto out onto each prepared bread slice and brush the top with green onion oil mixture and freshly ground pepper.

I've made something similar using bacon and spinach, but rather than poaching the eggs, I baked them in a 400 degree oven with the toast/muffin round in the bottom of the ramekin.

Bon appetit!