Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [85]
1 cup half-and-half or milk
½ cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, plus 1⁄8 teaspoon
Butter or canola oil for frying
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Maple syrup or fruit preserves for serving
Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tarts
Individual breakfast tarts sound impressive, but they are deceptively easy to make, especially since most of the preparation can be done ahead of time (see Note). Use your freshest eggs, and they’ll spread less as you crack them into the tart shells. And ask your butcher for slab bacon. It’s the whole side, or slab, of bacon before it’s been sliced. The advantage is that you can cut the bacon as thick as you like.
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Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch square. Cut into four squares. Trim each square to about 5 ½ inches. Place on the baking sheet.
Fold over and press ½ inch on each edge of the squares to form a rim. Using a fork, prick each pastry square inside the rim every ½ inch to keep the center of the pastry from puffing up. Whisk 1 of the eggs in a small bowl until frothy. Brush the pastry squares with the egg. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate. Stir together the cream, 6 tablespoons of the cheese, the mustard, and pepper. Spread over the center of the puff pastry squares.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. If the center has puffed, prick with a fork to deflate. Crack the remaining 4 eggs into small cups and pour one into the center of each tart shell. Sprinkle the eggs with the salt. Scatter the bacon over the eggs and arrange the tomatoes over the egg whites. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese over the egg whites and tomatoes. Top with green onion.
Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the tart is golden brown, the egg whites are firm, and the egg yolks are soft.
Serve immediately.
NOTE
Much of the assembly of these tarts can be done the day before. The puff pastry squares can be prepared and refrigerated overnight. The bacon can be browned the day before and stored in the refrigerator, and the cream mixture can be prepared and refrigerated overnight, too.
SERVES 4
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 eggs
4 ounces slab bacon or thickly sliced bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
8 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
¼ cup sliced green onion (green part only)
Scrambled Eggs over Crisp Polenta with Maple-Balsamic Drizzle
This sophisticated dish is really just an uptown version of eggs and grits. Ground cornmeal, known as grits, cornmeal mush, or polenta, is paired with eggs in many cultures. This dish forms a perfect circle, from the cracked corn that’s added to the chickens’ winter diet to keep them warm to the resulting corn-fed eggs and the fried triangles of polenta the eggs are served with.
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Pour the water into a medium saucepan and slowly whisk in the polenta and a pinch of salt until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Reduce the heat to medium-low and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until very thick, whisking frequently. Be careful—the polenta will pop in large spitting bubbles as it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ tablespoon of the butter. Line an 8-inch square pan with plastic wrap and pour the polenta into the pan. Cover and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the polenta from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into four squares (the polenta will be about ½ inch thick). Cut each square in half diagonally to make