Egg

Folks might laugh, but I could eat deviled eggs all day. My mother made them for me when I was a kid, and I’ve loved them ever since. When we serve our spiced-up version on a catering job or make them for a Custom-Que appetizer, everyone just goes nuts. To buy Zatarain’s mustard, see the Resources section (page 175).

You see this recipe a lot in the South. It’s great because you do all the work the night before; the next morning, this wonderful meal bakes while you’re having a nice, leisurely cup of coffee! Beth makes this on Christmas Eve so it can bake Christmas morning during the present-opening frenzy.

I keep this chicken salad in the refrigerator pretty much year round. It’s easy to make, and it keeps in the fridge for a week. Of course, at my house, it only lasts a few days! I serve this on toasted bread, or with wheat crackers as an appetizer.

You won’t go to a southern picnic or covered-dish supper and not see deviled eggs. Garth and I grew up eating different versions of this dish, so both varieties are included here. Honestly, I never met a deviled egg I didn’t like, so these are both yummy to me!

Here is a recipe for a brine that is sufficient to pickle up to 10 normal-size eggs. If you are using quail eggs, you can obviously pickle a lot more. The day we took this picture we had quail eggs, but truly, our favorite eggs are the smallest hen eggs available: the peewees. We even love the name, and their size is perfect because you can gobble up two or three. Remember to leave your eggs at room temperature for an hour before cooking them.

It’s true, at least for Fred, that an egg cooked in meat is the best. So much so that when we make braciole, he’s known to dig like a gopher to reach the eggs inside, leaving a hollow meat box to crumble on itself. The following is a short recipe where the egg gets that viande taste that Fred loves.

When we opened Joe Beef, we made all kinds of promises, oaths of sorts: no cranberry juice, we would wash dishes ourselves, we would stay open on Monday nights. We also said we would always have (at least) one breakfast item on the dinner menu. Of course, we are closed Mondays and never do the dishes ourselves, but we do always have one breakfast item on the menu. Oh, and we still don’t serve cranberry juice. We see foie gras the same way we see skateboarding: we had a phase, like most everyone. But then it stopped, and now it’s here and there and we enjoy it in small doses. If you come to town and want to feast on foie gras everything, make a pit stop at Au Pied de Cochon; they are good friends and do it better than anyone. Our favorite way to serve foie gras is with a breakfast-sausage patty or with peameal bacon, a well-peppered over-easy egg, and an English muffin. Add a dash of maple mustard and you’re happy, whether it’s 7:00 A.M. or 7:00 P.M. (You’ll have plenty of mustard left over, but that’s okay. It’s good with everything from salmon to corn dogs.) Remember, when you sear foie gras, be generous with salt, use a good pan, and most important, be prepared for a smoke show. Work fast and have a tray and tongs at hand before you start.

The great thing about this recipe is that even if you mess it up (which is tough to do), you still have a delicious mushroom and bacon cream that you can pour on toast and call it a day. This is a classic coddled egg but with much more garnish.

Skip the bacon if you like and substitute 2 tablespoons melted butter instead.

This recipe is all about the eggs, so use the best you can find; farm-direct pastured eggs are ideal (though even commercial eggs are delicious deviled this way). Deviled eggs tend to disappear the second you serve them, so it’s always good to make more than you think you might need. This recipe can easily be doubled. If you’re bringing these to an event, it’s best to prepare the components ahead of time and assemble the eggs on site. It’s much easier to transport that way.

The affinity between asparagus and eggs is apparent to anyone who has ever enjoyed an asparagus omelet. But here’s another variation on that theme. Brian roasts the asparagus to concentrate their flavor, then tops them with fried farm eggs basted with sizzling olive oil. The edges of the egg white become lacy and crisp while the yolk remains runny. A sprinkling of Parmesan helps make the dish more wine compatible. Serve as a first course for a spring dinner party, or in larger portions for a weeknight supper. It’s best to fry only one egg at a time, but each one takes less than 30 seconds.

You can poach the eggs a few hours before composing the salad. Immediately place them in an ice-water bath to stop the cooking, then keep in a bowl of cool water (it should just reach the tops of the eggs). Reheat briefly in a pan of barely simmering water.

Soaking the strata overnight in the refrigerator before baking will make it even creamier—and reduce prep time in the morning. To test for doneness, pierce center of strata with a sharp knife; it should feel firm and the knife should come out clean.

Although it makes a delightful breakfast, the frittata could also be served with a green salad for a lunch or light dinner. White button mushrooms can be substituted for the shiitakes; trim but do not remove the stems.

THIS RECIPE IS ESSENTIALLY A RIFF OFF Eggs Benedict using cheese sauce instead of hollandaise. The cheese sauce is richer, more flavorful, and easier to make ahead. It’s also a great way to use up any remaining bits of cheese from a cheese plate. The base is usually an English muffin, but you could use any kind of toasted bread. If you’re serving a crowd, offer eight or twelve small bowls of toppings that guests can choose from to customize their own egg creations, including leftovers from the night before.

A STRATA IS A SAVORY BREAD PUDDING with a creamy center and a crusty brown top. It’s a worry-free dish for entertaining: Mix the ingredients, pour them in a pan, and you’re ready to bake. Anything goes in a strata, so use the ingredients listed here as inspiration.

WITH POTATO, CORN, AVOCADO, AND TOMATO, this hearty egg dish is ideal for breakfast, brunch, a light lunch, or what my family calls a “breakfast dinner”—an easy breakfast dish that makes a satisfying dinner.