Poached Egg Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

Sometimes it’s the simple things that are the best, and that couldn’t be more true than with this salad.  Paired with a bright and tangy vinaigrette, this dish is well rounded and balanced… perhaps one of my favorites! I could really eat this dish every day and not get sick of it.  I wonder if anyone else will have this same obsession?

Poached Egg Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

Recipe by: Natalie Emerson

Serves: 2

12 Thin Asparagus

1 tbls Canola Oil

2 – 1 inch thick slices Italian Bread (or use a nice white bread/Pan de Mie)

1 ½ tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ lb Prosciutto di Parma

2 oz. Mixed Baby Lettuce

4 eggs

1 tbls Distilled White Vinegar

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette:

15 grams Shallots, chopped finely

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tspn Dijon Mustard

1 tbls Sherry Vinegar

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Procedure:

First, start by preparing your vinaigrette in advance. Take your finely chopped shallots and olive oil and combine them in a small sauté pan. On low heat, let it cook about 5 to 8 minutes; enough so that the shallots are tender and translucent but not as so far that the shallots are browning. When finished, take off the heat and let cool completely. In a clean bowl, add Dijon Mustard and in a continuous stream while whisking, add the already cooled shallot/olive oil mixture. Once cohesive, whisk in the sherry vinegar and add the salt and pepper. This will be a very tangy and bright vinaigrette and works as a great compliment to the salad components (especially the oozing yolks of the poached eggs).

Preheat oven to 385°F. Clean and dry the salad greens and put aside. Then, cut off the fibrous bottoms of the asparagus. Take a vegetable peeler and slightly peel the bottom halves of the asparagus stalks (This step is not entirely necessary for thin asparagus. However, it is a good habit to get into when preparing asparagus, as it’s always best to peel very thick asparagus a bit). Put the asparagus in a sheet pan and drizzle with canola oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix around with your hands or tongs to make sure every piece is coated. Put in the preheated oven and roast for 6-10 minutes until fully cooked but not completely soggy. Put aside.

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. This should create about 16 to 20 croutons to make 8 to 10 per plate. Put aside. Meanwhile heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once heated, add the extra virgin olive oil, swirl, and add the croutons. Keep them moving in the pan and make sure that all sides of the croutons get coated with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and keep cooking until croutons are lightly golden brown. Once cooked, put aside. Use fresh bread and not stale bread. These are meant to be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Pre-plate most of the dish. Put a few slices of prosciutto, salad greens, 6 asparagus, and 8 to 10 croutons on each plate and cover with plastic wrap until the eggs are ready.

To Poach the Eggs:

Fill a small saucepot with water and add the splash of white vinegar (Do not season the water at all - you will later season the eggs once cooked). Bring the water to a boil and lower the heat so that the water is not boiling but that it is at the point right before it would start simmering – when there are little bubbles rising up the sides of the pot. Swirl the inside of the pot with your wooden spoon to get the water delicately moving in a whirlpool motion. Crack and egg into a small bowl, and then close to the waters edge, slowly drop the egg into the pot. Using a wooden spoon, carefully wrap the whites around the yolk until it comes together. Let it cook for a few minutes. To check on it, carefully lift it to the top of the water with the spoon and touch it. You will want it to feel soft inside but have the whites completely set. Once this is achieved, take out and put on a paper towel – cut off any stray hanging whites and generously season with salt and sprinkle lightly with the pepper. Cover with plastic wrap (Understand that the egg will continue to slightly cook while warm). Repeat this process with the remaining eggs.

To Finish: Drizzle the salads with the vinaigrette and add the two poached eggs. Serve the salad at room temperature and the eggs warm. Enjoy.