Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

Herbs and Eggs

Eggs are an exciting subject in the food world. The creatures that lay eggs are as diverse as the creations that can be concocted from them! We equate eggs with spring for more reasons than the Easter bunny and Easter eggs. We have to remove ourselves from the globalized modern world we live in order to understand and appreciate that eggs are part of the natural cycle of the world in which babies are born in the spring. Maybe eggs are nature’s way of allowing the little creatures a warmer beginning. Maybe eggs are the result of parents being holed up in the cold winter. Either way, spring and eggs are an inseparable pair, and we think herbs and eggs are inseparable as well. We get antsy for herbs in the spring!

Eggs and herbs have an amazing ability to add diversity to cooking. Herbs have an uncanny ability to transform the flavors of the foods they are being paired with. Eggs have a similar ability to add diversity because of the different cooking methods that determine the flavor and texture of the finished product.

Eggs and herbs can be paired nicely all year long but it is during the spring that we are even more enticed by fresh spring ingredients. There are several ways to “cook an egg.” We would like to demonstrate many of the great ideas that are available to us as we venture into cooking with eggs this spring.

Fried Eggs
When it comes to fried eggs, there’s not much trickery involved. A fried egg is simply that, a fried egg. Eggs are fried with fat, butter, oil, lard, bacon grease or you name it.

Huevos rancheros with cilantro jalapeño sauce
4 corn tortillas
6 eggs
¼ c chopped red peppers
1 chopped jalapeno
¼ c chopped red onions
¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled
½ c chopped tomatoes
1 t olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeño
1 can tomatillos
¼ c cream
Salt

Sauté red peppers, onions, jalapeños and tomatoes in a sauté pan. Add one egg at a time and mix until the eggs are cooked through. Cook tortillas in the oven or on the grill until they are warmed. In a blender, mix tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and cream until blended. Serve tortillas with egg mixture and cilantro sauce drizzled over top!

Fried egg pesto tomato sandwich
2 eggs
¼ c pesto
¼ c parmesan cheese
2 sliced tomatoes
2 pieces of multigrain bread
Olive oil

Fry eggs in oil and flip them over when done. Leave the yolk runny or solid as you prefer. Toast the bread slices and serve them with cheese and drizzled with pesto and tomato.

Poached Eggs
Poached eggs are cooked in a vat of slowly cooking liquid, but they are not boiled.

Smoked salmon hash with poached eggs and parsley hollandaise
2 eggs
1 c smoked salmon
1 c cubed, peeled sweet potatoes par boiled
½ c chopped yellow onions
¼ c chopped chives
¼ c chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add potatoes and cook until well browned. Add smoked salmon, herbs and salt and pepper. Top with two poached eggs and a parsley hollandaise sauce.

For the hollandaise sauce:
2 egg yolks
¼ c butter, melted
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ c heavy cream
¼ c chopped parsley
1 T citrus vinegar
1 pinch cayenne pepper

First blend the heavy cream with the parsley until well blended and smooth. Strain and put aside green colored cream. In a double boiler or with a stainless steel bowl on top of a pan of simmering hot water, add the egg yolk and stir constantly with a whisk for a few minutes. Take off heat and add butter. Stir well. Add cayenne pepper. Stir well.

Herbed tomato soup with a poached egg
2 eggs
1 16 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 T olive oil
½ c finely chopped shallots or leeks
Salt/pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup each chopped parsley, chives and tarragon

Sauté shallots in olive oil until they are translucent. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Next, add tomatoes and simmer for about five minutes. Blend mixture with a hand held food processor for just a few seconds until the tomatoes are smooth. Bring soup to high simmer, add eggs, and cook about three to four minutes on a high simmer until eggs are done.

Hard boiled/Soft boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs are cooked in boiling water for about seven minutes for a soft boiled egg and ten to eleven minutes for a hard boiled egg.

Herbed deviled eggs
6 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 T mustard
1 T citrus vinegar
1 tsp fresh grated horseradish
½ cup total chopped chives, tarragon, parsley
Salt/pepper

Cut eggs in half. Set egg whites aside. Mix yolks and all other ingredients except egg whites together in a bowl until well blended. Spoon mixture onto egg whites. Chill and serve. Garnish with chives sprigs.

Southwest soft boiled eggs drizzled with cilantro and chili sauce
6 soft boiled eggs
¼ cup crème fraiche
1 T lime juice and 1 tsp zest
1 T citrus vinegar
¼ c chopped red pepper
¼ c chopped red onion
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp chopped jalapeño, set the remainder aside
½ cup cilantro
Salt/pepper

Blend cilantro, olive oil and remainder of jalapeño in a blender until smooth. Strain. Cut eggs in half. Set egg whites aside. Mix egg yolks and all other ingredients until blended. Spoon mixtures onto egg whites and drizzle with cilantro sauce.

Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are made by sautéing. The eggs are either mixed together prior to cooking (egg whites and yolks mixed together). Or, the eggs can also be mixed in the sauté pan for a less mixed version of the scramble. In this method the whites and yolks are little more separated creating a different texture and flavor. You can also add a little liquid, like milk or cream, to re-mixed scrambled egg mixtures to make the eggs fluffier. We recommend using just a tablespoon of water for each egg and whisking well in order to get a fluffy texture.

Chive and red pepper loose scramble
3 eggs
¼ c chopped red onion
¼ c chopped red pepper
¼ c chopped chives
1 T olive oil
Salt/pepper

Sauté onion, peppers and chive in oil. Add eggs. Loosely scramble with a spatula while in pan cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fluffy herb scrambled eggs
3 eggs
¼ c chopped chives
¼ c chopped parsley
¼ c chopped tarragon
1 T olive oil
Salt/pepper
2 T water or milk

In a mixing bowl, add eggs and water. Mix well. Add salt and pepper and herbs. Cook on a heated skillet either scrambling in pan or setting up in the pan.

Baked Eggs
When used in baking or for binding eggs are incredibly versatile.

Spring herb quiche
6 eggs
1 T olive oil
1 tomato sliced thin
½ cup asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup sliced onions
¼ c chopped red peppers
¼ c chopped chives (chopped into 2 inch pieces)
¼ c chopped parsley
¼ c chopped tarragon
Salt/pepper
1 c half and half
¼ c gruyere cheese grated
¼ c parmesan cheese grated

Make crust according to recipe below. Set aside.

Mix eggs, cream, salt and pepper and fresh herbs. Blend well. Add cheese. Add the majority of the vegetables saving a few pieces of each for the top. Pour batter into pie crust and place a few leftover vegetables on top for aesthetics. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown on top and/or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crust
1 ¼ c unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ c (1 stick) butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 T (or more) ice water

For crust:
In a bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter. Using a wooden spoon and your hands, mix until coarse meal forms. Add 4 T ice water. Mix until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more ice water if dough becomes to dry and won’t form into a ball. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour. Roll out and form crust and bake in a 350° preheated oven for about 25 minutes.