Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
This beautiful book is calling my name. I loved these baked eggs with my favorite food—smoked salmon. Next on my list: savory gruyère bread, roasted tomatoes with lemony anchovy crumbs, and a rack of lamb. And maybe some jam-filled sables.
Click on the book cover to buy:
French Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Tarragon Cream from Dinner in French
by Melissa Clark
serves 4
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, cleaned, and thinly sliced
Fine sea salt
10 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
8 large eggs, room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1 tablespoon chopped capers
Crusty bread or toast, for serving (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush four 8-ounce ramekins with butter and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook until they are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary. You are aiming for melted leeks with the barest touch of gold at the edges, but no visible brown.
3. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the cream, the crème fraîche, tarragon, and lemon zest, and remove the skillet from the heat. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.
4. Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Float 1 tablespoon of the remaining cream on top of each one, and bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 13 to 17 minutes (it will look jiggly in the center and that’s okay—the eggs will continue to cook out of the oven). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top each ramekin with salmon and capers. Serve with bread or toast.
Thinking Ahead
Leek and cream sauce: You can make the sauce up to 2 days in advance and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Pour off any excess water before distributing it among the ramekins.
Reprinted with permission from Dinner in French by Melissa Clark, photographs by Laura Edwards. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
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