Despite having two binders packed to the max with recipes clipped from Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart Living, it turns out that the easiest and most impressive dish to ever emerge from this kitchen’s oven would be inspired by a page in the latest issue of Esquire, which I very nearly dismissed due to the fact that they had Minka Kelly on the cover as Sexiest Woman Alive 2010. (I’m sorry. No.) But then Lou was thumbing through the magazine, reading funny excerpts aloud, and he stopped and pointed to a page with a recipe and a photo of an egg yolk floating in some sort of yellowish custard. Wasn’t exactly food porn, but Lou has never met an egg he didn’t like, and the recipe was crazy-simple, using ingredients we already had on hand. I made it Friday night, and let me tell you, I have never seen this guy put away food like he put away those eggs (two servings in the time it took me to eat half of mine).
I can picture this dish being great for all kinds of dinners where something small but indulgent would be in order: a hot date-night in, for starters. Or, with the recipe halved and a glass of white wine, an awesome splurge for one. The kind where you giggle out loud while eating it, because it’s that good, and you don’t have to share a single bite.
Baked Egg in Celery Cream
from Esquire’s Nov. 2010 “Best New Restaurants”
(Note: I adjusted the baking time, because mine wasn’t nearly done when the recipe said it should have been.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, gently heat:
1/3 cup fresh cream (yes, just 1/3 cup)
2 stalks celery + leaves, roughly chopped
1 shallot + skin, sliced
1/2 small onion + skin, sliced
1 tsp salt
3 peppercorns
1 small bayleaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
Heat these items until very hot. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly butter two small oven-proof ramekins and crack one egg into each, being careful not to break the yolk. Strain the cream into a small bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids. Spoon cream over each egg, just until covered (yolk might peek through cream, which is okay, says Esquire). Bake dishes in pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes. They are close when the whites are set(ting) but the yolk is still soft. Turn the oven to broil and, with oven door open, heat until tops just barely brown. Remove, let rest a minute, then serve with garlic toasts or warm crusty bread brushed with olive oil. Swoon.
