We are used to seeing the humble egg grab the spotlight on Sundays, when brunch is the preferred meal du jour and dishes that range from the classic Eggs Benedict to Colonie's savory Duck Hash with Poached Egg and Fingerling Potatoes (pictured above) are taking centerstage.
But lately, I've been seeing a bit more of the freshly cracked, gentle white and yellow eye appearing on evening menus -- and we're not talking about "breakfast for dinner" here. For example, Danny Meyer's Manhattan hot spot The Modern showcases a Slow-Poached Farm Egg with Maine Lobster, Artichoke Purée, Crosnes and Sea Urchin Froth on its Bar Room Menu. One of Chef Thomas Keller's most famous French Laundry dishes is a riff on "Bacon and Eggs," sporting a spoon filled with a soft-poached quail egg with applewood-smoked bacon and beurre monté. And, proving that the egg is more than just an American phenomenon, "The Hen and the Egg" is the signature dish of René Redzepi, the chef at Noma in Copenhagen, arguably the most lauded restaurant in the world.
To top it off, WD-50 molecular gastronomy whiz Wylie Dufresne presented a dynamic lecture about the wonder and glory of the egg at a recent TED conference.
So, is the egg going to finally overtake pork belly as the "it" ingredient of 2012? Poached, sunnyside up, scrambled or hardboiled, my bet is in.
Just a note to say I enjoyed your posts, came across them from a food industry blog list – really glad I found your site. Thanks for writing.
Posted by: Neilesh P. – Food Industry Afficonado | January 24, 2012 at 05:46 PM