Herbed Heirloom Eggs & Crispy Roasted Mushrooms

This weekend is Father's Day and while most Dads will be grillin' & chillin', they'll need a little fuel to get the day started.
This is a perfect breakfast or brunch to start Dad's day.  It is substantial, but not too heavy and it is absolutely delicious.

The roasted mushrooms take on an almost meaty taste and texture and the slight crunch from roasting them is unexpected.

This Sunday,  treat Dad to a special brunch and let him know you appreciate him.


Herbed Heirloom Eggs and Crispy Roasted Mushrooms on Grilled Baguette

• 4 Heirloom or Organic Eggs
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche  (or sour cream)
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms (cremini, button, shiitake)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices baguette, cut on bias

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wipe mushrooms clean, if needed, and thinly slice.

Lay mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Season aggressively with salt and pepper.  Toss to evenly coat and roast for approximately 20 minutes or until crispy.

Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat grill pan (or broiler if you don't have a grill pan) and lay pieces of baguette on hot pan.  If necessary, weigh them down with a heavy lid so the bread makes contact with the grill.

When the bread has golden grill marks on it, turn over and toast the other side.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a non-stick pan, melt butter over low heat.  Crack eggs into a bowl and lightly scramble with a fork or a whisk.

Pour eggs into pan, season with salt and pepper, stir in crème fraîche, chives and parsley.

Cook gently, stirring frequently over low heat until eggs are creamy and still slightly soft.

Do not overcook eggs until they have dried out. 

Top toasted baguette with eggs and roasted mushrooms.

If You're Afraid of Butter, Use Cream...

The above is one of my favorite quotes from Julia Child, one of the gutsiest broads to ever hoist a meat cleaver. (and I use that term lovingly)

On August 15th of this year, Julia would have turned 100 years old and I'd like to think would still be cooking.
In the 100 days leading up to Julia's birthday, the JC100 is celebrating this culinary powerhouse and her recipes.  Each week, a new recipe is featured and this weeks offering was Coq au Vin...  one of my all time favorites.

I remember watching Julia & Jacques and loved her candor and fearless approach to cooking.  She made it seem fun and most importantly, possible.  She had a way of walking her audience through a recipe that made complex dishes seem effortless and isn't that all we really want? To feel like anything is possible?

Her sing-song voice demonstrated her unmistakable excitement for what she was doing, especially when butter was involved.  She made no apologies for anything, especially her occasional mishaps in the kitchen.   For example, you dropped the chicken?  No big deal, pick it up & rinse it off!   I loved that.  It was like being told, it's ok if it all doesn't go perfectly as planned...  just keep cooking.

Her contributions to cooking and bringing knowledge of French cooking to the American public are unparalleled.  She was truly one of a kind. 

This is my all time favorite quote and precisely why I can relate to her... 

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. ”
― Julia Child


Coq au Vin

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying-chicken parts (roughly 1 whole chicken, cut up)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups sliced onion
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 - 2 large cloves of garlic, pureed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes
• 3 cups young red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• beurre manie for the sauce: (1 1/2 tbsp each flour and softened butter blended to a paste)
• chopped parsley
• 3 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, quartered and sauteed
• 1/2 cup bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips (original recipe calls for bacon to be blanched, however I like the saltiness of the bacon so I omitted this step)

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, saute the bacon and remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Brown the chicken in the pork fat, adding a little olive oil if necessary.  Remove and set aside.
4. Add the onions into the pan and saute over moderate heat until fairly tender, then raise the heat slightly to brown lightly.  Drain to remove excess fat.
5. Return chicken to the pan with the onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, tomato and mushrooms.
6. Pour in the wine and enough stock to barely cover and simmer slowly for 20 minutes.
7. Remove chicken from pan and spoon surface fat off the cooking juices.   
8. Taste the mushroom/onion cooking juices, boil down if it needs strength, adding seasoning if necessary.  Off heat, whisk in beurre manie to make a lightly thickened sauce.  Bring briefly to a simmer- the sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.
9. Return chicken to pan, basting with sauce, onions and mushrooms.

* I always serve this over lightly buttered egg noodles, it goes perfectly with the sauce.  You could also serve it with rice or to avoid starch completely, serve with a green salad.

Excerpted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. Copyright © 1989 by Julia Child. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Falling for Fregula

One of the best things to come out of Sardinia as far as I'm concerned is fregula (or fregola).  It is a toasted semolina pasta and it is similar in size to Israeli Couscous.  They are chewy, toasty little pearls and this is one of my favorite recipes for days when I need a little extra something.

I happen to live in a predominantly Italian neighborhood, so finding this isn't difficult but if you aren't that lucky you can find it online (or have a friend mail it to you!).  Another option if your grocery store doesn't carry it, is to ask them to start!  Most stores are happy to oblige if they know someone will buy it.

The first time I had fregula was in culinary school and I was instantly hooked.  The pasta is unlike anything else. It has a dense, chewy texture that you just don't get with regular pasta.  It holds up very well with hearty ingredients making it perfect for an autumn meal.


Fregula with Creminis and Caramelized Shallots

• 2 cups fregula
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 large shallots
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 large or 2 small packages cremini mushrooms
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional, yet necessary)

1.  In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Finely slice shallots and add to pot.  Stir to coat and let them cook, undisturbed for 5 - 10 minutes until they begin to caramelize.

2.  Stir the shallots and let them continue to brown.  Once they have fully caramelized, add the wine.  Scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the yummy brown bits that have stuck to the bottom.

3.  Next, slice the mushrooms and add them to the shallots.  Let the mushrooms cook down and release their liquid.  Add salt and pepper, lower heat to medium.

4.  Mushrooms will need to cook down about 15 minutes, you'll see that they have released quite a bit of liquid and they are browned.  Smash the clove of garlic and add it to the pot.

5.  At this point, add the fregula, stir it to combine, and add the stock.  This is where you add the cheese rind if you have one.  I know not everyone has one of these in the refrigerator, but if you do,  this is the perfect use for it.  It will lend a depth of flavor that nothing else can provide. 

6.  Bring the fregula up to a boil and let it cook until al dente,  about 12 minutes.

7.  Turn off the heat. Chop the parsley and add it to the fregula.  Stir to combine.

8.  Serve with extra grated parmesan on top.