eggs au poivre

steak < eggs

ugly. beige. delicious.

whether they cost a trillion dollars or not, i’m going to want them. eggs, i mean. even when i get the egg ick (which happens on occasion), they’re something i tend have on hand and will pretty much eat anywhere, anytime, in any form. they go with everything and they always will.

as most of you know (i think?), i live in berlin, germany where eggs are not at record high prices; i can easily get my hands on 6 large eggs for about €2,50. apparently the united states has asked germany (among others) if they might have some eggs to spare, to which germany has said, not really, reminding me of this hilarious seinfeld scene. the price of eggs in the us has been a hot topic for a while, and it will probably continue to be, so i won’t bore you (or me, tbh) with more on that front.

instead of the usual, “eggs are expensive, here’s how not to use them!”, i’m offering this recipe for a different perspective, a different way of thinking about eggs; about seeing eggs as more of a treat, something to be cherished, something that can be luxurious and humble, savory and spicy, saucy and satisfying. enter eggs au poivre.

the name obviously refers to the french classic, steak au poivre, of which the bones of this simple dish is made. funnily enough, i was inspired to develop this recipe not by steak au poivre itself, but by senfeier (boiled eggs in a mustard gravy), egg masala curry (boiled eggs in a spiced tomato gravy) and this amazing peppercorn poutine i had in montreal last year. i was thinking about boiled eggs and about what other thick, rich sauces would i want to bathe them in and that poutine came to mind; a creamy, intense peppercorn sauce seemed like an obvious match.

when i started in on development, i realized after the first test that it was falling a little bit flat and i craved something deeply savory to replace the fat and flavor of a steak, so i added two things from my pantry: doenjang, a korean fermented soybean paste made with brine that’s intensely salty and umami, and sichuan peppercorns to mix up the spice and sensation of the peppercorns for more nuance and a little tingle.

in the process of development and testing, i’ve eaten my eggs au poivre for both lunch and dinner with roasted potatoes, a hunk of bread, boiled potatoes, steamed rice and various green veggies (tossed directly into the sauce for good measure); all were hits. i’ve also experimented with keeping leftovers and reheating with a splash of water on the stovetop or in the oven; both worked well.

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this time last year:

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eggs au poivre

serves 2

3 cloves garlic

2 scallions

4 - 6 large eggs (i find two eggs is a good portion for one serving, but you might prefer three)

1/2 - 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (if you want more or less “spicy”)

1/2 teaspoon sichuan peppercorns

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon doenjang paste (substitute: white or red miso)

80 milliliters brandy

120 -150 milliliters heavy cream (if you want more or less sauce)

1. peel and thinly slice 3 cloves garlic. trim and discard the root end from the scallions and thinly slice, reserving the green tops to the side for garnish, if desired.

2. add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon black peppercorns and 1/2 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and work just to crack and pulverize them slightly; you don’t want a powder here, you just don’t want whole peppercorns.

3. bring a small pot of water to a simmer and use a spider or slotted spoon add 4 - 6 large eggs; if they happen to crack, no worries, let them be. simmer for 8 minutes (my preference; add time for harder, take away time for jammier) then remove and transfer to a bowl of ice cold water to cool.

4. in the meantime, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large frying pan over low heat. once melted, add garlic, scallion and peppercorns. let cook, just sweating out and blooming for a few minutes; you don’t want color on the garlic or to brown the butter, so adjust the heat as necessary.

5. once sweated out, add 1 tablespoon doenjang and 80 milliliters brandy and cook out until you can drag a spatula through the pan and leave a trail. add 120 - 150 milliliters heavy cream and reduce again until thickened.

6. peel the eggs then add to the sauce to warm through. plate up with plenty of the sauce spooned over. top with reserved scallions greens, then serve immediately as desired.