The recent spat of great weather in here in Philly has everyone thinking of spring. Especially after the tail of (hopefully) the last snowstorm, this high 50ºs thaw inspired the fresh earthy flavors of this dish. To break you from the groggy mornings that come with the sunless winter, this dish makes homage to the rustic style typical of French countryside cooking.
Shirred eggs, although surprisingly easy to make, are unfortunately rarely seen outside of France or high-end hotels and restaurants. Baked in a dish whole, the most basic way of preparing these eggs is with cream. Here I've omitted it (read: I was out of cream) and added a bed of rice-- a common tweak.
The trick with shirred eggs is cooking them to the proper doneness. The ideal is set whites where the yolks are still fully runny. To time it properly, take the dish out of the oven just before the whites are set near the yolk. They'll continue to cook outside of the oven from carryover heat. Don’t wait until they finish cooking in the oven – by the time they're out are ready to serve the yolks will be cooked through! Alternatively, if you take them out too soon, the whites will still be watery.
The way I've detailed cooking the rice is the standard pilaf method. Toasting the rice in oil partially gelatinizes the starches and greatly improves the texture of the finished product. Cooking the rice in the oven as opposed to the stovetop provides a more even heat and prevents from accidentally burning the rice on the bottom. Additionally, this method frees up burner space which is useful if you're cooking more than one dish at once.
While onions are often a substitute, here specifically leeks are an essential ingredient. While onions caramelize and become sweet, leeks have a sharper grassier flavor and pair very well with the wild mushrooms and horseradish root.
The horseradish root here isn’t the pre-grated kind that comes in a jar with vinegar. Not every supermarket will have it so if you can’t find it simply omit it. The vinegar pre-prepared horseradish prevents it from being a substitute.
Serves 3
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups wild mushrooms sliced (at least half shiitake)
3 1/2 tbsp diced leeks
2 tbsp minced parsley
2 tbsp fresh horseradish root minced
1 cup wild rice
2 3/4 cups water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 eggs
Unsalted Butter
Olive oil
A mild firm cheese with a nutty flavor (a cave aged gruyere is a good choice).
Mise en place:
Take eggs out of the fridge first and let sit on the counter while working to allow to warm to room temperature.
After peeling the tough outer skin off the horseradish root with a potato peeler, shave the needed amount of root off with a knife in a whittling motion. Chop the shaving after as you would normally.
If you don’t have ramekins you can use small ovenproof pyrex dishes (the kind used to hold ingredients when chopping).
Method:
Preheat oven to 350
In a kettle on another burner heat up the water. It doesn't have to boil.
Melt about 1 tbsp of butter in a 1-2 quart saucepan and sweat .5 tbsp of leeks.
Add the dry rice and stir so to cover with the butter. Toast for another min or so.
Add the 3 cups of hot water from kettle and white wine vinegar.
Gradually bring to a simmer stirring along the way.
Once simmering, cover pot and place in oven for 15-20 min or until the liquid has been absorbed. Once done take pot out of oven, uncover and fluff the rice with a fork or spatula. Salt lightly to taste And allow to cool a bit.
While the pot is still in the oven, heat about 1.5 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick pan and sauté the remaining leeks and mushroom. The pan must be hot enough that they don't stew but not so hot that they fry or become crispy. Salt and pepper lightly.
Once mostly cooked through (about 5 min) add the horseradish and parsley. Cook for another couple minutes. Take off heat.
Brush a 4-5" diameter ovenproof ramekin with olive oil.
Layer bottom with cooked rice. Crack two eggs over rice and position yokes towards the center of the dish, (careful not to break the yolk) top with the sautéed mushrooms and slices of cheese.
Place in oven and cook for about 8-15 min so that the whites are set but the yolks are runny. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the ramekin and wether it’s glass or ceramic so check on them and be careful not to overdo it. The yolk will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven so bring it out right before it appears to be done.
Grind some fresh pepper on top and serve immediately with fresh sourdough or pumpernickel bread and strong coffee.
