Hard-boiled Eggs Carême

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7-inch (18 cm) shallow timbale shell and flat serving platter
• •Medium saucepan for the eggs
• •Small lidded sauté pan
• •Small saucepan for holding Sauce Nantua
• •Thin, sharp slicing knife
• •Wide serving spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the components

   Set the baked, completely dry Timbale Crust (No. 2394) on a warm, flat serving platter. Hold the finished Sauce Nantua in a small saucepan over the gentlest heat. It should coat a spoon yet fall from it in a broad ribbon. Do not fill the pastry yet; a waiting, sauced timbale becomes soft from the bottom upward.

   If the pastry feels cool or slightly soft, warm it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes, then let it stand uncovered while the remaining components are prepared.
2. 2

   Cook the eggs

   Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle boil and lower in the eggs with a spoon. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes, which sets the yolks fully without turning them chalky. Transfer the eggs immediately to cold water for 5 minutes, then peel them carefully. If a shell cracks during cooking, lower the heat so the egg stops knocking against the pan; the escaping white will set, and that egg can be hidden in the middle layer. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Make precise slices

   Slice the artichoke bottoms into even pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Cut the peeled eggs crosswise into discs about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, as the source directs, wiping the knife between cuts so yolk does not drag across the whites. Count out 16 thin truffle slices and reserve the 8 most even ones for the finishing ring. Keep ragged egg ends and smaller artichoke pieces for the hidden layers; only the cleanest rounds need to face the table.

4. 4

   Étuver the artichokes

   Étuver the artichokes, meaning stew them gently in butter without browning. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the sliced bottoms, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until they are hot, supple, and glossed all over. If the butter begins to color or the artichokes catch at the edges, lower the heat and add 1 teaspoon of water; let it evaporate under the lid. You want tenderness and butter sheen, not a crust.

5. 5

   Build the timbale

   Work while the artichokes and sauce are warm. Cover the base of the pastry shell with a snug layer of buttered artichoke, follow with egg discs, then arrange half of the unreserved truffle slices across the eggs. Repeat the layers, fitting the smaller pieces into gaps without pressing hard enough to crack the pastry. Use every prepared piece, but leave the reserved truffle slices untouched for the crown. The layers are the structure of the dish, so keep them distinct rather than stirring them together.

6. 6

   Crown with Nantua

   Bring the Sauce Nantua just to serving heat, never to a boil, and spoon it over the filling in an even coating, allowing a little to run into the gaps while leaving the golden pastry rim visible. If the sauce has tightened, whisk in cool water 1 teaspoon at a time; if a little crayfish butter has separated at the edge, take the pan off the heat and whisk with the same small addition until the gloss returns. Ça se rattrape. Arrange the 8 reserved truffle slices in a clean ring over the sauce and carry the timbale straight to the table. À table!

   The sauce belongs on the filling, not over the pastry rim. Keeping that rim bare preserves the crisp contrast the whole construction depends upon.

Chef Tips

• •Buy whole artichoke bottoms, not marinated hearts. Good canned or jarred bottoms are an honest classical-pantry choice when fresh artichokes are poor; drain and dry them thoroughly so their packing liquid does not dilute the butter.
• •The ratio is four truffle slices for each egg, sixteen slices here, including the final ring. A whole preserved black truffle can stand in when fresh is unavailable because it still provides real slices and texture. Truffle oil cannot do that job.
• •Sauce Nantua must remain warm but never boil once finished. High heat can drive out its crayfish butter and leave an oily rim; hold it over very low heat and rescue it with a teaspoon of cool water if necessary.
• •The original folded napkin beneath the timbale adds no flavor and makes a hot pastry shell less stable. A warmed flat platter is the practical home equivalent, and nobody at the table will miss the laundry.
• •Serve this as a first course with a dry Champagne of some breadth. Artichoke can make many still wines taste metallic, while lively bubbles and a bready character sit more comfortably beside the crayfish sauce and truffle.
• •The finished timbale waits badly. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within a day, but expect the pastry to soften; the first serving is the one this dish was built for.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Timbale Crust (No. 2394) up to a day ahead. Once completely cool and dry, keep it loosely covered at room temperature so trapped moisture cannot soften it.
• •Prepare the Sauce Nantua up to a day ahead, chill it promptly, and reheat it over very gentle heat. Whisk occasionally and never let it boil.
• •The eggs may be cooked and peeled several hours ahead, then covered and chilled. Bring them toward room temperature before slicing so the warm filling is not cooled at assembly.
• •Drain and weigh the artichoke bottoms earlier in the day, but slice the truffle close to serving so its aroma stays in the dish rather than on the cutting board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 195g)