Simple French Eggs

When we think 'French eggs', we immediately think omelettes, yes? (Oui?) Well, think again. I call this recipe 'Simple French Eggs' because the eggs are so much simpler to make than an omelet. Once upon a time, it was my nephew's favorite way to make eggs, he was only eight years old!

Pastel egg shapes are everywhere this week. They are so pretty!

One neighbor has tucked a dozen large eggs (big bunnies, those) into a bed of spring flowers, late-blooming daffodils in the sunny spots, Scotch bluebells in the shady spaces.

Down the street, a family with young children has hung small eggs (in lavenders and soft yellows, pearly blues and the palest of pinks) from low boughs of what I can only think to call a weeping cherry.

We each mark this Easter week in our own fashion, some secular, many religious.

Yet something so simple as an egg can connect us whether we celebrate the rebirth of spring or the promise of the resurrection. Surely, there’s a lesson here.

ALANNA's TIPS There a trick to perfect SIMPLE FRENCH EGGS: time. Cook them quickly and they’ll be tough. So try cooking them slowly, veeerrrry slowly, leaving aside our typical rush-here-rush-there pace. Then eat slowly too, savoring each morsel. Taste the rich butter, the bite of salt. Remember what an egg actually tastes like.

Try a ‘finishing salt’ such as fleur de sel, a sweet, bewitching salt harvested by hand from beds off the coast of France. It is costly – $40 a pound even if sold in small packages – but is used sparingly with eggs, simple salads, slices of fresh mozzarella or perfectly ripened garden tomatoes.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.

SIMPLE FRENCH EGGS

Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 1, easily multiplied

a small dab of butter (about 1 teaspoon)
two eggs, as fresh as possible
about a half tablespoon of milk
a sprinkle of good salt
a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper

Melt butter until it shimmers in a small non-stick skillet over medium-low to low heat, tilting the skillet so butter spreads evenly. Meanwhile, whisk eggs until yolks and whites can no longer be distinguished. Add milk and whisk to combine. Gently pour egg mixture into hot pan (it should sizzle very slightly) to cover the bottom. Allow mixture to cook untouched. When egg is cooked about a quarter inch thick, use a spatula to gently ‘plow’ across the middle of the pan from one edge to the other, letting the uncooked egg fill in the ‘plowed’ space. Let egg continue to cook, again untouched. Repeat until egg is fully cooked, allowing mixture to cook untouched, ‘plowing’ only as needed. At the end, gently flip mostly cooked egg to cook the top-most part. Remove to a warm plate, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve aside lightly buttered whole grain toast.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 212 Calories; 16g Tot Fat; 6g Sat Fat; 2g Carb; 0g Fiber; 151mg Sodium; 504mg Cholesterol; 15g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 6, PointsPlus 6

Adapted from French Food At Home by Laura Calder. I have cooked from an earlier edition of this cookbook since it was first published.

Do you have a favorite easy way to cook eggs that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com.

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