How To Poach An Egg Julia Style

Ever wonder how to make a perfect poached egg without those clunky egg poaching pans?

It's much easier to poach an egg in boiling water than it is to try to use a poaching pan. There is no greasing of the tins or cleaning of the egg tins.

You simply bring at least 3 inches of water to a good steady boil and then turn the burner down to a simmer.

Gently crack the shell, open and let the egg drop as close to the water surface as possible being careful not to burn your hands. Set the timer for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes depending on how well you like your yolk to be set. Leave the egg alone for about 30 seconds and let the rolling of the boil shape your egg into a ball. Then gently take a wooden spoon and work any flailing edges around the egg. By flailing edges, I'm referring to those wispy wing type edges that you see at the top of the above photo. Every egg will get these edges. There are different tips to avoid getting the pieces to not form but I've never found any of them to really work. It's less mess if you just learn to gently roll the edges onto the egg with a wooden spoon.

While the egg poaches you can remove any froth from the water surface with your wooden spoon being careful not to touch the egg. Keeping the water surface clean will give your egg a clean surface to come through when removing it from the water. And it also keeps your water clean in case you want to poach more eggs.

Your egg should look like this. I cook mine for 3 1/2 minutes because I prefer a soft but not runny yolk. Once your timer is up gently remove the egg with a slotted spoon. Using a slotted spoon drains away the water so that when  you place the egg on a dish it won't be sitting in a puddle of water. 

This is my finished poached egg. Don't expect your first one to come out perfectly. The first day you make them don't plan on serving them to anyone except yourself that way it removes the pressure of trying to get it perfect the first time. Just relax and let the water and the wooden spoon do all the work. 

I made a layered salad with lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, sweet onions and asparagus, topped with the poached eggs and feta cheese. I garnished the edges with chilled already peeled shrimp and sliced sugared strawberries. I made a wine sauce in the same pan that I sauteed the mushrooms, onions and asparagus. I then added it to a raspberry vinaigrette dressing and drizzled it over the salad. 

None of the photos have been retouched, manipulated or altered in any way. What you see is what you get. Life isn't perfect so I don't want to give the impression that your egg will turn out to look like something that you can never actually achieve. The more you poach eggs the easier it becomes. It's so much easier to drop them in boiling water than it is to use any other method.

Day 5: Downton Abbey Cookbook

Bubble and Squeak

I followed the recipe to the letter aside from the fact that...

I steamed the carrots and cabbage to avoid overcooking them.

I was thrilled to be able to use up the mini heads of cabbage and the snap peas that we had just bought the weekend before at our local open air market.

Once the cabbage and carrots were almost tender, I put them in the skillet with the thinly sliced potatoes, onions, peas and bacon.

Once everything was nicely browned, I sprinkled paprika liberally.

Bubble and Squeak is so delicious that I'm making it for my mom tomorrow. And I've promised her some bread pudding for dessert. She is more intrigued by the name of the recipe than the actual dish itself.

Day 4: Downton Abbey Recipes

Velvety Cream of Mushroom Soup
This recipe was very simple to make. The hardest part was getting the roux at the precise thickness so that the soup would be thick and creamy and yes, velvety.

I got the mushrooms all chopped and minced right along with the shallots. I'm about halfway into the chopping and mincing in this photo.

I've got the broth heating up so that I can add the roux. Once the two are mixed we now have what is called "velout'e". 

The mushrooms and shallots have been pureed and will be added to the velout'e. 

And this is the finished soup. It makes enough for four servings. It's the best mushroom soup I've ever eaten. The recipe called for saffron but I substituted a different spice. Saffron is a bit pricey and I wasn't sure that I'd ever use it again. Paprika didn't seem to ruin the flavor. However, while I've never had saffron to my knowledge, it does have a distinct flavor. Most chefs recommend that you do not substitute. It's best to use the real thing when it comes to saffron. Serve this soup with a good hearty toasted bread. It makes for a wonderful meal.

Day 3 Downton Abbey Recipes

Day 3: Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

This recipe was really good, we are still a bigger fan of the cinnamon bread pudding though. We didn't feel as guilty about eating it for breakfast the next morning. It just had such a french toast-iness taste about it. The chocolate bread pudding is very rich.

Baguette bread soaking in the chocolate mixture for about 30 minutes or so.

After the bread soaks for a while, all you do is bake it. While this is baking make the caramel sauce, which is very simple to do.

The caramel sauce turning a nice amber per directions from the recipe. I'll be using this recipe for ice cream topping and other desserts.

I served the pudding and the caramel sauce while it was still warm. It's a quick and easy recipe. Keep in mind you have to let the bread soak and it takes a while to bake. The preparation of it all is the quick and easy part.

Day 2: Downton Abbey Recipes

Shepherd's Pie, Baked and Buttery Balsamic Asparagus with Sea Salt and Mrs. Bates Bread and Butter Pudding

And, I added my own candied carrots. I served this meal with a fine glass of port.

Any dish that includes beef calls for a nice glass of port wine.

The Shepherd's Pie was very easy to make. I browned the beef and put it in a casserole dish.

Once the onions, mushrooms, garlic and red bell peppers were tender, I placed the mixture on top of the beef.

It's really that simple. This is all that is required for the pie. Then the pie crust is carefully placed over the top of the dish.

 The simplicity of this recipe really surprised me. I've never made a shepherd's pie before. Super easy to do.

Once the crust starts to turn brown and the juices are bubbling, it's time to take the pie out of the oven.

The kosher salt makes the flavor of the beef come out rather than overpowering the beef with a salty flavor. I've never used kosher salt before but I'm quickly becoming a big fan of it.

As easy as the pie was to make the asparagus was even simpler. I popped it in the oven for several minutes to make it tender and then added the balsamic mixture. My husband and I love asparagus. This recipe brought a whole new flavor to it. 
 

It's quick and easy and makes a perfect side dish to anything. I'll make it again and again. I've sauteed asparagus many times. But this is full proof and the asparagus was tender not mushy. And since the oven was on...

I made bread pudding for dessert. There are a few recipes for bread pudding in this cookbook. This is an enormously fattening excuse for a fancy french toast. The butter, whole milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, sugar and four eggs make a simple loaf of baguette into a major dessert.

And, because it resembles cinnamon french toast, go ahead, and have some more for breakfast the next morning.

Day 1: Downton Abbey Recipes

I would like to thank my dear friend Becky for sending me this wonderful cookbook. I just started watching Downton Abbey a few days ago. She is an ardent fan and has been watching the show as it airs. It's hard for me to sit and watch television. It has to be a really good movie, show or documentary for me take the time to watch it. After several seasons, I'm just now jumping on board with Downton Abbey. Just after three episodes, I fell in love with the characters and the storyline. I gushed a bit on Facebook about it. I had no idea Becky was sending me the cookbook. But, I think she knew that I would dive into this cookbook and turn those words into delicious meals. Here is my first attempt...

Day 1: Daisy's Mustard Salmon With Lentils served with Mrs. Patmore's Easy Roasted Parsnips

I started making my first Downton Abbey Cookbook meal with my husband by my side. The recipes looked easy enough. I found myself substituting too many ingredients and decided to start over. 

So, with my husband heading to the grocery store to re-purchase chives, Dijon mustard, parsley and a few other ingredients, I started chopping carrots again and getting my base going for the lentils.

As soon as he walked in the door with the groceries, I kindly removed him from the kitchen so I could start my second round of making this meal. He happily obliged and did man things outside.

I've never made lentils before or eaten them to my knowledge. I had a bag in the pantry that I had bought a few weeks prior to cooking this meal. We've been on a health kick around here lately. I bought things like lentils, whole beets, Mangoes, whole sweet potatoes and unusual greens. I didn't know what to do with them once I got them home. The veggies I could eventually juice, but the lentils, what do you do with lentils? Well, actually the lentils are quite simple to make. This recipes calls for them to be  cooked in water, vegetable stock, carrots and herbs.

The parsnips were absolutely amazing! I've never had them before. I'm so glad they didn't end up in the juicer. These were really good. If you ever want to try parsnips the Downton Abbey recipe is the way to go. They are easy to make and taste like something you've never eaten before.

I've made salmon a lot over the past several years. My husband and I try to eat it about once a week. I seared it effortlessly out of routine. If you are searing salmon for the first time, rub olive oil over the filet really well or it will stick to your pan and make a terrible mess of your finished salmon presentation and your pan. I never sear in a nonstick pan. I rarely use nonstick pans for anything. A good heavy double clad skillet or cast iron skillet is best for searing salmon, steaks and such. Cooking with the Julia Child cookbook helped me become comfortable with "real" cookware.

While I'm no Beryl Patmore, I do like to think that I know my way around my own kitchen, even it does take me a few tries to get it right. However...

...the second try was a success! The mustard sauce allowed the salmon and the lentils to burst with flavor with every bite. We were kind of reluctant to eat the parsnips at first. But, we both took a bite and gladly ate the rest. This meal was so full of flavor. The Julia Child recipes were exquisite in presentation and flavor. But this Downton Abbey recipe was like nothing we had ever eaten before. It was very intense and delicious. 

Now on to today's recipes. Hm, what should I make?

Still being inspired by Julia Child. This is hanging inside my pantry door.