What's Cooking in Kelli's Kitchen - Breakfast Clicks

I broke so many of my self-imposed rules with my column last week. First, I was writing it on the road and was unable to confirm the availability of Cline Cellars wine at Safeway. So, my apologies, it looks like those of you interested in trying a bottle or two will have to order online or travel out of the area. 

Second, the recipe I included is not a good fit for the season. Summer is finally here, bringing with it 100-degree temperatures. The last thing we should be doing is a multi-hour braise in the oven. I hope you will cut out the recipe and save it for next November. Third, as my lovely officemate brought to my attention, the ingredient list was especially bougie. Frankly, it was a copy-and-paste job straight from the Cline Cellars website. Next fall, when the weather is cooperating for a braise, please just use whatever olive oil or balsamic vinegar you have on hand.

Speaking of the weather, as the mercury outside climbed north of the three-digit mark the temperature in our house crept slowly up to 10° over acceptable. My husband was melting, and I suggested opening windows after sunset. Fortunately, Just in Time had a guy on call who removed an actual cottonwood fluff sweater from our a/c unit. 

At the same moment that I least wanted to cook inside, our newly repaired Traeger started popping the GFI on the patio outlet. Fortunately, my cooking activities for the evening were limited to searing three small pieces of sesame-crusted ahi tuna, an activity that necessitated less than 10 minutes of stove time to complete. The tuna was torn into chunks, tossed in lime juice, and added to a bevy of herbs, avocado, green onions, and cucumbers in my twist on a summer favorite, Scarlett’s Tuna Salad. If you are interested in making this salad yourself, you can find the recipe in The Fallon Post archives as it made appearances in both February and July of 2021.

After 19 years of making breakfast for my spouse, I made a brand new, never-been-tried breakfast dish today. The important takeaway from this pronouncement is that it is entirely possible to cook something different every time and to never run out of things to cook. There is not enough time to try everything, so if a recipe doesn’t “click” for you, move along to the next one. Our breakfast today definitely “clicked.”  Ouefs Coquette, or French Baked Eggs, is surprisingly simple and unbelievably delicious. The egg yolks are the star of the show, so use fresh, local eggs if you can. 

Kelli's Baked Eggs 
(with apologies to Ouefs 
Coquette)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T butter, softened
• ½ c chopped ham
• ½ c shredded cheese (gruyere, muenster, swiss, cheddar, etc.)
• 6 T heavy cream
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 4 eggs
• 2 T chopped chives
• Assorted fresh herbs and toast

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Butter two small oven-safe dishes or ramekins thoroughly and place them in a lasagna pan or other dish with high sides. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil then set aside.
2. Add chopped ham and half of the shredded cheese to the ramekins. Combine cream and Dijon mustard then split evenly between the two ramekins. Crack two eggs into a small dish and gently pour into a ramekin, handling delicately to keep the yolk intact. Then repeat with the remaining eggs in the other ramekin.
3. Spoon cream over the top of each yolk, topping with the remaining cheese, salt, pepper, and chives. 
4. Pour hot water into the lasagna pan until it comes halfway up the side of the filled ramekins then cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for six minutes then uncover and continue baking until the whites are set. Baked eggs are done when they are done so you will want to check regularly. A general guideline is 18 minutes for soft yolks–but this will vary based on more factors than is worth discussing here.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit. Remove ramekins from the water bath, top with fresh herbs, and enjoy spooned over toast.

Kelli Kelly -Slinger of Produce.

Slurper of Dumplings.

Person of the Bean.