Who doesn't love eggs? Chefs use them all the time. In fact, the tall chefs hats that you see are called toques. A true toque has 101 pleats, and you only get to wear it if you have mastered the 101 ways to use eggs. Yep, they are that important. But we get stuck making eggs the same way over and over. So I made some recipes to try to change it up a bit.

When cooking eggs, though, you need to know how to crack them. Here is a video showing you the best way.

Polenta with Poached Eggs and Brown Butter Hollandaise

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the polenta:

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup water, plus additional if needed

1/2 cup polenta (not quick cook or instant - Bob's Red Mill is one of my favorites)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the mushrooms:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

16 ounces mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini, or button), quartered

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

4 ounces unsalted butter

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)

2 large egg yolks (learn how to separate eggs here)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons water

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For serving:

8 poached eggs (learn how here)

Procedure:

Make the polenta:

Bring milk and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and season with salt. While whisking, rain in polenta. Let simmer until polenta is fully cooked through, approximately 20-30 minutes, whisking regularly to avoid clumping, and adding additional water if needed to keep the polenta creamy. When cooked through, add parmesan and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. If polenta firms up, you can add a bit of additional water just before serving.

Make mushrooms:

While polenta is cooking, cook mushrooms. Melt butter in large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and thyme and season with salt. Cook until mushrooms are softened and browned. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make sauce:

Combine butter and sage in a pan set over medium heat. Cook until butter has browned, stirring infrequently. Strain butter through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing to get as many browned solids as possible in the cup, but leaving the sage behind. Keep warm.

In a heat-proof bowl that fits on top of a saucepan filled with about 1" of simmering water, add egg yolks, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and water. Cook, whisking constantly, until eggs are the texture of pudding. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to stop the cooking. Off the heat, slowly drizzle butter into egg mixture while whisking constantly. When all butter is incorporated add remaining lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

To serve:

Divide polenta among 4 bowls. Top with mushrooms, followed by poached eggs. Top with sauce and serve immediately.

Eggs Diablo

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado, canola or vegetable

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 medium onion, diced (see one way to do it here)

1 red bell pepper, diced (learn 2 different ways to do it here)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 serrano, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2, 14-o z cans Rotel (or diced tomatoes and 1, 4-oz can green chilies)

1/2 cup minced cilantro (learn the "hack" for how to get the leaves off the stems here)

8 large eggs

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Warmed tortillas, for serving

Procedure:

Heat large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add oil. When oil is heated through, add spices, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until onions are translucent and veggies are softened. Add serrano and garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 3/4 of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until flavors have combined and some acid is cooked out of the tomatoes.

Reduce to a low heat. Create 8 “divots” in the tomatoes. Crack 1 egg into each divot and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese evenly around dish. Cover with lid and cook until eggs are set to their desired doneness, about 7-10 minutes for runny yolks, an additional 2-3 for firm yolks. Remove lid and remove from heat. Sprinkle remaining cilantro over the top and serve with warm tortillas.

BLT Quiche

Makes 1, 9” quiche

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, frozen for 20 minutes

1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

2 Tablespoons finely sliced chives (see a trick for this here)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille)

4 ounces bacon, diced, cooked crispy, and drained of fat (learn the best and fastest way to do

       that here)

1/3 cup finely minced sun-dried tomatoes

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped arugula

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Make the crust:

Place the flours and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the water and mix gently. If the dough comes together, remove from bowl and place on workspace. If not, add more water, a little at a time until it just comes together (you don’t want it to be too wet).

Shape dough into disk and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to overnight. Roll out dough to fit pie pan, with 1/4” overlap. Transfer to pie pan (I prefer either the Emile Henry or Staub ceramic pan) and gently push in the sides to form to the pan. Trim dough if necessary. Roll edges under to form an edge. Use fingers or a fork to make a decorative edge if desired. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes, or until completely set and cold.

Make the quiche:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. If using a ceramic pie pan that has been in the refrigerator for more than 20 minutes, set pan on counter for about 5 minutes to temper pan.

Using a fork, prick several holes in the bottom of the crust (called docking). Line the crust with foil and fill with baking weights, rice, or dry beans. Place in oven for 15 minutes, or until sides and bottom are set and foil easily removes from crust. Return to oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until bottom of pie crust is golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

While pie crust is blind baking, whisk together chives, eggs, cream, milk, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

When crust is done baking, layer bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and arugula on bottom of crust. Pour egg mixture over the fillings. Place pie pan on a baking sheet and return to oven. Bake until custard is set and slightly browned on top, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Quiche can be served warm or at room temperature.

Which Came First?

Makes 8 deviled eggs

Ingredients:

4 hard-boiled eggs

1/2 cup diced, cooked chicken

2 teaspoons minced celery

1 teaspoon minced chives

1 tablespoon minced dried cranberries

2 tablespoons minced pecans

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Halve eggs lengthwise and remove yolks. Press yolks through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Set whites aside.

Add remaining ingredients to the bowl with the yolks. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Fill holes in egg whites with chicken salad mixture. Serve or chill immediately.

Ingredients and Equipment

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