Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Soft Set Eggs with Mushrooms and Greens

Lest anyone ever argue otherwise, let me assure you, as a self-declared Person Who Cooks Things, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with having breakfast for dinner. But if evening pancakes tend to bring with them an inevitable nudge of guilt, consider making this recipe the next time you find yourself craving Sunday morning on a Tuesday night. It tastes complex enough to feel like dinner, despite the basic eggy-something-over-bread theme, and it's absolutely delicious.

Ingredients
2 tbsp chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
Assorted savory greens, chopped (e.g., 1/2 bunch Russian kale, 2-3 handfuls baby red mustard greens, 1/4 bunch dandelion greens)
1 medium leek, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and sliced
Flavorful mushrooms, sliced
(e.g., a mix of Trumpet Royale, Clamshell, and Velvet Pioppini, or a mix of shiitake and crimini)
Small handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 pastured eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices fresh bread

Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and saute for a few minutes until it starts to smell sweet. Next, add the garlic and saute for a minute or so until soft. Add the greens to the pan and toss to coat evenly. Saute, stirring, for 2-3 more minutes until the greens begin to wilt, then cover the pan and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick frying pan (14" is good) over medium heat. When hot, add a little olive oil, wait for a few moments, and then add the leeks and saute until soft. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring and sprinkling with salt and pepper as they cook.

When the mushrooms soften and begin to release their juices, add most of the parsley (reserve a little for garnish), stir, then distribute the mushroom mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan. Working quickly, crack three eggs into the pan in different places, and immediately turn the heat down to low. Begin to gently stir the mushrooms into the white, leaving the yolks whole for a few moments as the eggs begin to set. After a minute or two, gently begin breaking the yolks, one at a time, and folding them into the mushroom mixture (you want to do this slowly and gently, folding often enough that the mushrooms get coated with some egg, but not so often that the eggs get scrambled -- at the end, you should still be able to see distinct yellow and white parts).

Serve in layers: Bread (or toast drizzled with just a little olive oil), then greens, then mushrooms on top, garnished with parsley.

Serves 2 for dinner.

2 comments:

  1. Looks so tasty, that I have to try it and make Finnish translation to my own blog.

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