Thursday, June 26, 2008

Egg-citement !!


When I planned my weekly menu for this week, I decided I would do an easy dinner one night and have breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes and bacon - it would be a simple meal and I wouldn't have to worry about recipes or tons of ingredients. Well when I planned this meal I had no idea how drastically my week would change. I found out some very exciting work news yesterday. News I had been waiting for a very long time for that was an extremely big deal. The announcement was in our favor and very thrilling. Naturally I celebrated the news with everyone else at work that it affected during happy hour yesterday. But tonight was my night to celebrate with Forrest and eggs and bacon just didn't seem like celebration food. I didn't feel like making a trip to the grocery to purchase what I would consider celebration food (steak or seafood) so I found a recipe to spruce up my original breakfast for dinner plans.

BAKED EGGS AND MUSHROOMS IN HAM CRISPS

Gourmet Magazine February 2002

3/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
12 slices Black Forest or Virginia ham (without holes; 10 oz)
12 large eggs

Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Accompaniment: buttered brioche or toast
Special equipment: a muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Prepare mushrooms:
Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter with salt and pepper in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and thyme.

Assemble and bake:
Fit 1 slice of ham into each of 12 lightly oiled muffin cups (ends will stick up and hang over edges of cups).

Divide mushrooms among cups

and crack 1 egg into each. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes.

Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons or small spatulas.

I halved the recipe since it was only two of us eating. This dish was really yummy and was super simple to make. This would be beautiful served at a breakfast or brunch when you have company over for those meals and I am so glad I had a reason to try it and will definitely be making this again!

21 comments:

Cate said...

That is such a brilliant idea...and they look really cool too!

Pille said...

I agree - a great idea for brunch!

Gabriela said...

Now that's egg-zactly what I'm talking about! Thank you for the wonderful recipe, I'm sure it will meet my every egg-spectation. Congratulations on the big eggstravaganza at the office! I share in your egg-citement.

vanillasugarblog said...

I love my eggs that way. What a great idea. I would throw a good chunk of cheddar on top of those mushrooms. Thanks for sharing!

Sally said...

Fabulous, just fabulous. hyank you, will try at the weekend. Lovely brunch idea. So simple too.

Woody said...

this would be a great special breakfast meal for when people are staying at your house. I liked ham outside of the meal. Maybe some sausage at the bottom instead of mushroom might be good.

Anonymous said...

OMG . . . I'm in love with this dish and, by extension, with you! What an awesome presentation. I have to try this. Thanks for the inspiration.

Nate @ House of Annie said...

Awesome. I am really going to have to try this.

Jenny said...

Really gorgeous photos! I love this idea, great post!

amycaseycooks said...

These look like so much fun! I am putting these on the menu when we have guests visiting this summer.

Anonymous said...

I love this! It's like the Michelin-star version of a traditional breakfast. I made a little post about this on my blog, I hope you don't mind... It's in Dutch but I can tell you I only say nice things ;-)

Kind regards,
Clumsy

Love, TasteSpotting said...

i think this was submitted to TasteSpotting earlier this month but didn't get to the front page for some reason...would love to have it up for breakfast some time :)

would you mind cropping the photo (to make it perfect) and resubmitting?

love,
tastespotting

Leslie said...

mmmm..that looks fab!!!!

the Aspirant Abecedarian said...

What a great idea! Beautiful photo...very inspired to try this dish.

Dragon said...

What an amazing way to serve eggs and ham. And a mushroom surprise as the bottom?! Yum.

Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer said...

What a great idea and the presentation is terrific. This would be great for a brunch or a suprise to the hubby breakfast in bed. I am inspired..

Cheers
Cathy
www.wheresmydamnanswer.com

Anonymous said...

Since this is the meal that you fixed after our big excitement at the office I'll have to try it. I have to say I haven't had eggs since my 4-H cooking class fiasco when I was 12, but this is worth trying. Love your blog!

Lore said...

Hi Elizabeth,

Just wanted to let you know the 10 Original Food Photo post is now up. Thanks again for giving me permission to include your egg-citement photo!

Laura Paterson said...

Hi,
I got here from Culinarty - just wanted to say, these look gorgeous - and I'm looking forward to trying them!

Anonymous said...

Nice post as for me. I'd like to read more about that topic. Thank you for giving that info.
Sexy Lady
Girls for companionship in London

A-Man said...

Nice idea to serve eggs!
Thank you!
Hope to read more creative kitchen ideas on your blog.