Duck Eggs in Potato Crusts etc...

An on-the-fly name for something I winged from the outset. I'd welcome better name ideas.

This was a little time-consuming for me, but worth it in the end.

I started by grating a couple red potatoes and then wringing as much water out of them as I could. (A little tricky considering my recent and lingering injuries). I tossed the potatoes with a little melted butter and then used the mixture to form little crusts in a lightly-oiled muffin tin. Into a 450° oven for a half hour, or until golden and crispy.

On to the assembly. I placed a mozzarella ball in each cavity, then added a fresh duck egg from the back yard. I finished by adding a pinch of fresh finely-chopped chives to the top along with a little salt and pepper. That went back into the oven (now at 400°) for 20 more minutes.

After ten minutes I put the asparagus, also from the garden, into the oven. I love asparagus cooked this way. Simply roll the spears in a little olive oil that has been spread on a cookie sheet, then season however you'd like. This morning I used a little alderwood smoked salt.

During the final ten minutes of baking, I cut the English muffins and got the Canadian bacon ready for assembly.

Next came the Hollandaise sauce. I don't think I could ever be a saucier like Chef in Apocalypse Now! I just don't have the patience for whisking anything over low heat until it thickens. But, I did it anyway. Two egg yolks (this time chicken, from the store) and two tablespoons water, until frothy, then over a double boiler on low heat, until thickened. One third cup melted butter is then slowly whisked in. Slowly, to keep the sauce from breaking. Finish it off with a little lemon juice, some white pepper and a pinch of salt.

We are just about ready to eat.

Toast the muffins, place a slice of Canadian bacon on each, add a potato-crusted egg thingy (that is the technical term for you novices out there), and spoon a little sauce over the top. Don't forget the asparagus!

This came out really nice. Even the sauce, although I would be a little more patient while adding the butter. It did separate a little. Susie woke up when the muffins were just about done toasting, just in time to eat. She is finishing up the dishes as I write this.

Bon appétit!

Belgian Waffles

I'm not sure why, but I woke up this morning thinking about Belgian waffles. Not just eating them, but making them. There's something sorta zen about using a waffle iron. I went to an on-line recipe site and searched for Belgian waffles. There were two hits. After looking each over I went with the recipe that used yeast instead of self-rising flour. I have yeast.

The yeast is dissolved in some warm milk and set aside until creamy. Egg yolks, melted butter and more warm milk are whisked together. The yeast mixture is added along with sugar, salt and vanilla.

At this point, I used the electric mixer to whip egg whites until soft peaks formed.

Back to the batter, this time with the electric mixer. More warm milk, and flour are mixed in, alternately, "ending with the flour." That "ending with the flour" direction kind of irked me. Just a little. Why end with the flour? Why not the milk? What would happen if I just happened to end with the milk? What if I deliberately ended with the milk? Who would even know if I ended with the milk? Susie was still in bed, so it could be my little secret.

I ended with the flour.

The beaten egg whites are then folded into the batter and the bowl is covered tightly with plastic wrap, placed in a warm spot and allowed to rise for an hour.

It nearly doubled in size, making clear, that a half recipe, or even a quarter recipe would be plenty for both of us should I make this one again.

To the waffle iron! I used a 3/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter into the hot, oiled iron. Close the lid, the light goes on. A few minutes later, the light goes off, open the lid and remove the hot waffles.

When I had enough made to eat, Susie and I ate. The rest of the batter could wait a few minutes. I added homemade raspberry jam, whipped cream, caramel sauce and chopped pecans to mine. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

After we ate, Susie used the rest of the batter and cranked out waffles for the freezer. They are not Eggos. They are better. I just don't know if they'll re-heat like Eggos.

Bon appétit!

Crêpes with Strawberries & Whipped Cream

I am going to watch a couple hours of baseball on television this morning, and then go to a baseball game this afternoon. Something needed to be done to keep things running smoothly at home. The answer: Sunday morning strawberry crêpes. With whipped cream!

The batter is as simple as it gets: 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk the eggs and then add each ingredient in succession, fully incorporating each one as you go. A blender would work fine as well. I went with the whisk just to keep clean up to a minimum. Refrigerate the batter for an hour. Or not. Chilled batter is easier to work with during the cooking portion of the recipe.

I melted a little butter and had it at hand as I prepared to cook the crêpes. I brushed a little butter in a nine-inch frying pan. Then I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup as a ladle and poured a nearly-full scoop of the batter into the center of the pan. I rolled the pan to spread the batter evenly across the bottom. After a minute or so, I used a spatula to loosen the edge of the crêpe and, using my fingers, gently lifted it from the pan, turned it, and returned it to the pan and the heat to cook the other side. Another minute or so. Remove the crêpe from the heat to a plate and repeat until the batter has been exhausted. This recipe made 9 crêpes. Four for each of us, and one to wolf down when Susie wasn't looking.

For the filling, we had some strawberries from last season. In the freezer. Susie took them out to thaw last night. This morning she added a little sugar to them.

I placed some of the sweetened strawberries in the center of a crêpe and folded it into quarters. Four of these filled a medium plate nicely.

I am all about convenience. Some times. For the whipped topping, I used canned whipped cream. It would just be easier than whipping and sweetening cream. Clean up would be easier as well. For Susie. (Unwritten agreement: one cooks, the other cleans. Most of the time.)

Bon appétit!