Cold Eggs, Rubens

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four shallow 3½-inch (9 cm) tartlet moulds
• •8-inch (20 cm) shallow tray for the aspic
• •Fine-mesh sieve and clean fine cloth
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Slotted spoon
• •Small saucepan and whisk
• •Paper cockscomb template and sharp paring knife
• •Oval chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the clear aspic

   Reserve ¾ cup (180 ml) of the stock for the chaud-froid. Put ½ cup (120 ml) of the remaining stock in a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it, and leave it for 5 minutes to bloom. Warm the final 2 cups (480 ml) of stock just below a simmer with a small pinch of salt, then remove it from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Do not boil gelatin or its setting power weakens. Skim away any foam and pass the liquid through a damp fine cloth if it looks cloudy. Pour 1¼ cups (300 ml) into a shallow 8-inch (20 cm) tray, making a layer about ¼ inch (6 mm) deep, and chill until firm. Reserve the remaining aspic for the moulds, sauce, and glaze; if it sets, melt it gently over warm water.

2. 2

   Cook the tomato purée

   Put the crushed tomatoes in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cook them plainly over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the watery juices have evaporated and the tomatoes taste rounded rather than raw. Pass them through a fine sieve and return the purée to the pan if it is looser than thick cream. You need about ½ cup (120 ml / 125 g). Chill it completely. No onion, garlic, or extra herbs belong here; the source asks for tomato, and tomato is what it should taste of.

3. 3

   Mould the hop shoots

   Cook the hop shoots in generously salted simmering water until tender but still intact, usually 3 to 5 minutes depending on their thickness. Taste one at the stem before draining; young shoots should be pleasantly vegetal, not fibrous. Cool them at once in iced water, drain, and press them very dry between clean towels. Season with the black pepper and enough of the remaining salt to wake them up, then fold in the parsley, chervil, cold tomato purée, and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of liquid aspic. Add the final tablespoon (15 ml) only if the mixture will not hold when pressed. Brush four shallow tartlet moulds with the neutral oil, divide the mixture among them, and press firmly so no hollow pockets remain. Chill for at least 2 hours.

4. 4

   Poach and chill eggs

   Bring a wide pan of water and the vinegar to a bare tremble, 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). Crack each egg into a cup, slip it close to the surface, and poach for 3½ to 4 minutes, until the white is fully set and the yolk remains soft. Work in two batches if the pan is crowded. Lift each egg into iced water, then trim away ragged white with a small knife. Keep the eggs submerged in fresh cold water until needed. Very fresh eggs hold a neat oval; if a white spreads in the pan, gather it gently around the yolk with the slotted spoon rather than stirring the water.

5. 5

   Build the chaud-froid

   Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour, and stir over low heat for 2 minutes without allowing the roux to colour. Gradually whisk in the reserved ¾ cup (180 ml) stock, then simmer gently for 5 minutes until smooth and able to nap the back of a spoon. Add the cream and white pepper, simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes, and season carefully with salt. Strain into a bowl and stir as it cools. When the sauce reaches 86 to 90°F (30 to 32°C), whisk in 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of liquid aspic. The chaud-froid must be cool enough to cling yet fluid enough to pour. If it runs from the spoon like milk, set the bowl over ice and stir until it thickens; if it sets in lumps, warm it gently over water and strain it again. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Coat the eggs

   Drain the cold poached eggs, blot them thoroughly, and leave them on a clean towel for 5 minutes so the surface loses every trace of water. Set them on a rack over a tray and spoon the chaud-froid over each one from the crown, letting it fall into an even ivory coat. Chill for 10 minutes, then cover any thin or bare patches with a second spoonful. While the coating is still slightly tacky, arrange three small pieces of tarragon leaf on each egg. A wet egg rejects the sauce and a warm one melts it; cold and dry is the whole principle.

7. 7

   Glaze with aspic

   Melt 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the reserved aspic and cool it until it feels cold but remains fluid and slightly syrupy. Spoon a very thin coat over each decorated egg, enough to seal the tarragon and give the surface a clear gloss. Chill until set, about 20 minutes. If the aspic begins setting before it reaches the eggs, warm it by a degree or two over water; if it is warm enough to soften the chaud-froid, wait and stir. Patience, not force.

8. 8

   Turn out and arrange

   Loosen each hop-shoot moulding with the tip of a small knife, warm the outside of the mould for a few seconds under a hot towel, and invert it onto a chilled oval platter. Set the mouldings in a circle and place one glazed egg on each. Cut four cockscomb silhouettes from the firm tray of aspic with a small paper template and a sharp paring knife, then stand one between each egg. Chop the remaining aspic into small, irregular crystals and mound them in the centre. Keep the platter cold until serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Hop shoots are a brief spring ingredient, and this dish truly depends on them. Ask a specialist greengrocer or a grower who can identify unsprayed hops. Tender asparagus tips can teach you the same moulding and saucing architecture, but the finished dish is then a cousin, not Œufs froids Rubens.
• •Choose a pale, clean-tasting chicken stock and strain it well. Dark roasted stock muddies both the ivory chaud-froid and the clear aspic. If homemade stock already sets firmly when chilled, reduce the powdered gelatin to 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 ml / 12 g).
• •Powdered gelatin gives aspic its tender clarity and allows the glaze to melt gently over warm water. Agar sets brittle and opaque at the edges, so it does not make an honest replacement here.
• •Use very fresh eggs because their whites cling closely to the yolks. For diners who should avoid soft yolks, use pasteurised shell eggs or poach until the yolks are fully set; the presentation remains intact, though the centre will be firmer.
• •Serve this as a cold first course with a dry Champagne or another brisk, mineral sparkling wine. Rich sauce, egg yolk, tomato, and the green bitterness of hop shoots want acidity and bubbles, not a heavy white.

Advance Preparation

• •The clear aspic and plain tomato purée can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Melt only the portions of aspic required for each stage over warm water.
• •The hop-shoot mouldings and poached eggs can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead. Keep the mouldings covered and the eggs submerged in fresh cold water, both refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or colder.
• •The eggs may be coated, decorated, glazed, and assembled on the platter up to 6 hours before serving. Refrigerate the platter under a tall cover that does not touch the glaze; freezing ruins both the eggs and the aspic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)