Coddled Eggs with Foie Gras
At the end of my post each week, I always add these words: “French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table cookbook.”
Dorie Greenspan’s version of Coddled Eggs and Foie Gras. Notice that she likes her eggs less poached than I do. Photo/ Bon Appetit
Our cooking circle was born in October, 2010. The first recipe was Gougères, cheese puffs made with a dough called pâte à choux. Since then we’ve knocked off more than 260 recipes and plan to cross the goal line in April 2015. Until then, cooking-the-book means just that – we’re committed to trying every recipe. Although I may not like every French Fridays dish, I always learn something new from making it. Sometimes it’s an ingenuous technique of Dorie’s. Often it’s a tip or suggestion from a FFWD colleague. Sometimes I surprise myself with a lightbulb moment of my own.
One of my four Coddled Egg with Foie Gras ramekins which is ready for the steamer.
This week’s recipe is Coddled Eggs with Foie Gras. I associate egg coddling, a steaming method resulting in a gentle poach, with Caesar Salad. As “the Martha” reminds us, “A coddled egg is used to help emulsify the dressing and kill any bacteria.”
More simply stated, why run the risk of giving your dinner guests a Salmonella infection? Coddle, instead.
Our B&B in Santa Fe, Adobe Abode, is located one block from George O’Keeffe’s museum. Nelly Joy Irakoze, originally from Burundi in East Africa, is the proprietor and an amazing cook.
While I’ll not make this recipe again, it was a delightful, simple, and decadently delicious lunch yesterday. After buttering 4 ramekins and dropping 4 tiny slivers of Foie Gras in each mold, crack an egg into it. (If you break the yolk, start over.) Season with salt/pepper and spoon heavy cream over the mixture, letting the yolk peek out. Sprinkle with parsley and tarragon and settle the ramekins snugly into your steamer. Steam until comfortably poached (5 minutes for Dorie, 10 minutes for me) and serve immediately.
“The Journey’s End”, a sculpture by Reynaldo Rivera from Albuquerque, greets visitors to Museum Hill where the International Folk Art Museum is located and where the Market was held.
Luckily, this week’s recipe needed few ingredients and could be thrown together with little effort. I just returned from Santa Fe where I joined friends (and, 25,000 other tourists) for the 11th International Folk Art Market. IFAM is the world’s largest crafts exhibition and sale of works by master folk artists. In the past ten years 690 artists from over 80 countries have participated, generating more than $18 million in sales. Even better, 90% of that money is returned to the artist. Many of those artists represent developing countries where making $3 a day is the norm.
Use your imagination – 25,000 people – and, it’s hot. I must say that this huge event was organized, well-run and manned by a friendly, informative volunteer crew.
Attending this market was like making the Coddled Eggs with Foie Gras. I enjoyed it immensely but once is enough. IFAM is an Event and, hopefully, my photos tell and explain that story. Six days in Santa Fe (and, Taos, where we also visited), however, with their historical significance and museums and cuisine and cultural opportunities, are never enough.
Nelly-Joy helped her friend, Ceci, originally from Cameroon, at her food booth at the IFAM. I had lunch there. I don’t know what I ate but it was delicious.
Taureg artist, Haoua Albaka, from Niger
An artist from Equador
The Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in America, is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Water is carried from nearby Red Willow Creek. There is no electricity. Population: 1,135.
If you would like this week’s recipe, go here. If you wish to see how my colleagues coddled their eggs this week, go here. If you would like more information on Santa Fe or Taos, I will be happy to help you.
I liked this but then again I made mine with simpler ingredients! The smoked duck breast I used was delish! This is a colorful post! The heat at this event probably turned you off.
Yup, this was probably a once is enough dish 🙂
1) It looks like you raided Liz’s raspberry freezer. I am impressed.
2) Love the little toast soldiers
3) Santa Fe sounds like an experience.
I would actually make these again. In my own kitchen with my own equipment. This is such a lovely sunny post Mary!
You make friends where ever you go! Welcome home from another adventure. I was glad I made these, but, like you, I doubt I’d ever make them again.
PS…laughing at Cher’s comment!
I actually loved this one however, I love the baked version, with ham and cheese better. I would definitely make it again! Your adventure sounds like so much fun. Very nice post, Mary! Enjoy your weekend!
Love your market photos – looks like you had fun. I am with – these coddled eggs were ok, but once is enough.
What an amazing group of people to experience and their crafts must have been amazing… maybe a little more amazing than this dish?
I wish I would have known you were in Santa Fe. We could have met up.
Mary you have this uncanny ability to absorb and reflect back to us your adventures. Your life never stops and I am so glad you share it with us.
Keep it up…the eggs look pretty good to me too.
An interesting trip, and lovely pictures. We stayed in Taos for a few days, lovely area, great food, and the scenery
was beautiful. This weeks’ eggs were good, but I overcooked them. Quite tasty with the pate.
Yes, exactly! That is exactly how I feel about this adventure we are on. I may not love all of the recipe, but there has not been a single one which I have regretted making. For better or for worse, they have all taught me something.
Hi Mary! I’ve been absent too long but I hope you remember me! I love your pictures of NM. I am going to Santa Fe with a friend the middle of August. I’m not sure where we are staying but I will ask her about you B&B. NM has a very unique charm doesn’t it? Your first egg picture is an enticing combo of colors and textures! We loved my version of this one and will definitely make it again. Hope all is well with you and yours!
Dear Mary, what a lovely array of colorful pictures from Santa Fe – the pictures of the artisis are just amazing. Love all their faces! And your coddled eggs is perfect, sprinkled generously with fresh, chopped herbs, some toast soldiers and fresh raspberries – looks like a wonderful breafast or brunch dish!
We are in the midst of a heatwave and trying to keep our cool by going to the swimmingpool and eating a lot of ice cream – so far, so good!
Have a great Sunday – many hugs and kisses (we loved the picture of you and your smiling grand-children) on FB!
Liebe Grüsse,
Andrea
Loved this post and it reminds me exactly of why I enjoy (and MISSED) my FFWD. The cooking is only a part of it. Some weeks, a small part 🙂 Thank goodness those eggs were easy- I needed a break as we got back in the swing of things. And I just love that you posted this vacation. It looks very interesting and my curiosity is piqued. Nana (and our families) and I road tripped to Albuquerque as we went cross country a few years back and then we did another trip that involved Taos. We viewed that Unesco site and various other adventures and had a blast. I need a road trip. Stat. Thanks for letting me enjoy yours ~
Great post! Love the chunky bread strips!
What a wonderful event Mary. It looks like such fun! Love all your photos, especially the one of your with Nelly Joy, what an amazing smile. I feel like I was there with you looking at all the wonderful sights.
I loved looking at your photos. Taos looks like an amazing place to visit. I never knew that eggs could be coddled and then used raw. Thanks so much for the tip.
I agree, once was enough, but it was a lot of fun giving it a try! Your trip looks fun!
The sky in Santa Fe is magical. My parents treated us to a trip years ago. It’s one of my fav family vacations. I did a lot of painting after that trip.
Your breakfast looks tempting. Very beautuful!
This wasn’t my favorite either, another case of “I like all of these things, just not combined”. We did really enjoy the remainder of the pate on some French bread later though. But easy enough, and good – just not over the top.
I’m glad you had such a great trip to Santa Fe. I’ve been there many, many times, though I guess not too recently. Interesting that this art fair is there too. It, along with Taos, is such a culturally interesting area. It’s great in the “off-season” as it’s not such a crush to go gallery hopping. Where you stayed looks perfect, and all of the people you met – delightful!!
I’m still catching up… Your most recent adventure looks fabulous, though I’m starting to think you could go shopping at the mall and have lunch at the food court and magically find all the best things to buy and meet the only interesting people there and make it into a memorable day. Your zest for life is infectious. And, your enthusiasm for trying new things too, like coddle eggs with foie gras. I will admit that I loved these (with chicken liver mousse,not foie gras) and would definitely make these again.