Daring Cooks: Poaching

Jenn and Jill have challenged The Daring Cooks to learn to perfect the technique of poaching an egg. They chose Eggs Benedict recipe from Alton Brown, Oeufs en Meurette from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, and Homemade Sundried Tomato & Pine Nut Seitan Sausages (poached) courtesy of Trudy of Veggie num num. 



I had every intention of making the seitan sausage. I know Bender likes it, and our beef stew recipe is based on a seitan stew recipe. I set out looking for gluten flour, but had no luck. I even checked with our local organic shop, but when I asked for gluten flour, they automatically assumed I meant gluten free flour. Once I was able to convey what I meant (in my very limited German), the clerk pointed me in the direction of seitan sausage mix. The mix seemed a bit like cheating (even though the mix would still need to be poached), and I was too lazy to make the gluten flour myself. So I decided to poach eggs instead.

Just a wee bit of mustard ;)

I love poached eggs. I find them just as good as fried eggs, minus the fat from the cooking process! What could be better? Gooey, runny yolks just sing as a sauce for other things. Deliciousness on a plate! I've poached successfully a few times (okay, maybe only a couple), so I wanted to try something a little bit different since Bender won't eat poached eggs and I didn't want a lot of sauce (like Hollandaise) to go to waste. So I got to thinking... 

The Dude mentioned a dish his grandmother makes that has always been one of his favorites: eggs in mustard sauce. His girlfriend wanted to learn how to make it too, so we set up a date for him to teach us. Suddenly I had a brilliant idea: if the eggs are poached, I could use it as my challenge! So that day at work I got a little distracted looking up Eier in Senfsosse. Unfortunately, the recipe calls for hard boiled eggs so what we made that night would not work. But the entire time I was eating it I couldn't stop thinking about poached eggs. I just knew the runny yolks would work perfectly with the mustard sauce, so I just had to try it. So this weekend I set about putting my own twist on this traditional German recipe. In my brilliance I decided to poach the eggs in the mustard sauce, but I think in the future I'll definitely be poaching them separately. And cutting down on the sauce a bit.

Eggs ready to simmer in mustard sauce 

Poached Eggs in Mustard Sauce

For the Mustard Sauce: 

1 Tablespoon butter 

2 Tablespoons flour 

1 cup milk (room temperature) 

1 cup honey mustard* 

2 eggs 

½ cup fresh spinach 

4 slices bacon, cooked to your desired done-ness 

2 slices of bread, toasted 

*Most German recipes I read call for only 2-3 tablespoons of mustard, but The Dude used a cup and I followed his example :) 

Method: 

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, whisking constantly to incorporate. Cook two minutes to remove the flour taste. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Once you are certain there are no remaining flour lumps, stir in the honey mustard. Bring the mustard sauce to a slow simmer and add the eggs, one at a time. (I cracked the egg into a mug. Using a large spoon, I made a depression in the sauce for the egg and gently poured the egg into the depression.) Cover the egg completely with the very gently so as not to move the whites around too much. Cover the pot and allow the eggs to cook for four minutes or to your desired done-ness. 

To serve: Place a piece of toast on your plate. Cover with half of the spinach, followed by two slices of bacon. Add one of the eggs and as much sauce as you'd like. I found it easiest to use a ladle to remove the egg from the sauce (make sure you remember where it is!). Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve hot. 

THOUGHTS: As I mentioned earlier, I think I will halve the sauce recipe and poach the eggs separately. The sauce can definitely be used a bit more sparingly, but I liked the punch. If you use as much mustard as I did the mustard will definitely smack you around a bit, so make sure you like the mustard you are using! You can always add more, so start with a little mustard and add to taste. If things get too strong for you, try adding a little honey. 

The egg yolks worked beautifully with the mustard sauce, spinach, and bacon. And yeah, I ended up wasting a lot sauce with this recipe too... but it's got to be a bit healthier for you than Hollandaise! 

VERDICT: 

I-love-poached-eggs: 1 vote

Runny yolks make me happy! 

Many thanks to our hosts Jill and Jenn for a great challenge! And when I have access to gluten flour, I'll definitely try the seitan.