Tuesday, February 9, 2010

A French Valentine’s Day Bistro Lunch featuring Eggs in Coquetiers all the way from Paris


I was the lucky person to receive these little black French coquetiers, French egg cups, from Laura at Laura’s Paris Cooking Notebook. Laura found them at the Christmas Market in the Champs Elysees and she mailed them to me all the way from Paris. Laura says in Paris, “black is very trendy in the French arts de la table (everything related to the table, tablecloths, decorations, chinaware, glassware, silverware ...) and these have a Paris touch with the Eiffel Tower in white.”

Thank you so much Laura. I’ve been saving these darling little egg cups for a special occasion and that occasion has come. It’s Valentine’s Day on Sunday, so why not prepare your valentine a French bistro lunch of Oeufs a la coque avec mouillettes, or soft boiled eggs with toasted fingers of bread, and a frisee salad with lardons or a simple green salad of curly endive with bacon gently dressed with an olive oil vinaigrette that you've seen on my blog several times.
I adapted the eggs and bread fingers recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier’s cookbook, Chocolate & Zucchini, in which she writes about her daily adventures in a Parisian kitchen. The toast fingers are normally spread with a little butter, but I mixed some goat cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Clotilde also used goat cheese but mixed hers with artichokes, which also sounds delicious, so be sure to check out her recipe.

Soft Boiled Eggs with fingers of bread

Oeufs à la coque avec mouillettes

Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier


Four extra large, high quality brown eggs

4 of 5 sun-dried tomatoes, depending on their size

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 4-ounce log of soft goat cheese

French baguette


Bring the eggs to room temperature to avoid the shells cracking as you lower them into the simmering water. Put the eggs in saucepan with enough water to cover. Remove the eggs and bring the water to a gentle boil. With a slotted spoon carefully put the eggs back in the water. When the water returns to a boil, turn the heat to low and allow the eggs to simmer gently for four minutes. Do not overcook or you’ll end up with hardboiled eggs.
While the eggs are cooking, chop four or five sun-dried tomatoes (the dried ones not packed in oil) that you’ve previously plumped in hot water to soften. If you are using the ones packed in oil, you can skip the plumping step. Mash the goat cheese with a fork and add the tomatoes and basil and mix together to make a smooth paste.
Slice the baguette lengthwise as if you were making a sandwich and toast it. Spread the toast with the goat cheese mixture and cut into fingers thin enough to be easily inserted in the soft boiled egg.
Drain the eggs and put them in egg cups. Serve with the toast fingers. Serves four as a light main course. (Instructions for how to properly eat the eggs is below.) Excellent with a frisee salad with lardons.




Here are Clotidle’s suggestions on the proper French way to eat a soft boiled egg with toast fingers:

Tap the pointy end of the egg gently with a knife all around so you can slice off its hat. Remove the hat and season the egg and the hat with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scoop out the inside of the hat with a spoon and eat that first. Take one mouillette, or toast finger, and dip it in the egg, and eat the egg coated end. Repeat until you’ve eaten all of the bread. Use your spoon to eat the remainder of the egg. When you’re finished, drop the hat into the empty shell for good luck.




To make your valentine’s lunch complete, grab a fresh baguette and some flowers and a nice cadeau, French for gift, and you’ll be set.




I’ve received a couple of awards and would like to say thank you to Laura of Laura’s Paris Cooking Notebook for the Kreativ Blog award and to Mama Bird at Mama Bird’s Nest and Sophie of Sophie's Food Files for the Honest Scrap award. I’m honored and pleased. You are all special ladies and I hope you have an exceptionally great Valentine’s Day. Also I want to thank two of my blogging friends, Christo of ChezWhat and Danielle of Cooking for My Piece of Mind, for generously sharing their knowledge of blogging. They both have helped me make my blog better. A big French merci beaucoup to you both.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone,

Sam

45 comments:

  1. What a beautiful picture of your bistro luncheon. Lucky you to receive the egg cups. I too love Laura's blog a lot. It just seems like she takes you to Paris with her for a few minutes with each posting.

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  2. Bonjour Sam,
    What a lovely bistrao lucheon you have planned for you honey, and Valentines is the perfect time to break out those sweet little black egg cups.
    I haven't visited Laura's blog yet, so I'll head over now and tell her you sent me.
    I always enjoy coming by here, your blog is trés elegant and filled with so many interesting posts and of course, the delicious recipes!
    Have a good week!

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  3. So sorry to double post - please pardon all those atrocious typos above - trying to type too fast...no really...okay perhaps it's all the chocolat I've been forced to eat being Valentines and all!!

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  4. My grandmother used to eat and egg and her toast just like this in the mornings. This post brings back memories of staying with my grandparents for a couple weeks in the summertime. Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's.

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  5. Cocos et trempettes..that's what we called them growing up:) But never served in chic cups like yours and never with such fanciful trempettes~ Great idea!

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  6. I remember when Laura hosted the contest for those beautiful coquetiers. Congrats on the win, they are so pretty! Both your recipe and photo make them look even more gorgeous. Loved the story on how to eat a soft boiled egg.

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  7. Sam, those egg cups are enchanting! Your table is set for romance!

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  8. The egg cups are gorgeous and make for such a pretty presentation! This is perfect for Valentine's day!

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  9. Sam, that is one beautiful presentation! I love egg cups and your bread fingers are amazing. Now that is a delicious breakfast.

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  10. HUGE shout out to Meakin - the first photo is so cool. I love a soft boiled egg and yours look perfect in the coquetiers.

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  11. Oh, how lovely! I'll have to try that soon. Maybe tomorrow morning!

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  12. You always take nice pictures sam! I love this that French Bistro Lunch...so good!

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  13. aw sweet Laura I love her, you must meet her one day, love this Posh egg and soldiers!!

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  14. What a wonderful lunch! Beautiful all around.

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  15. you're welcome...my pleasure! (and I just realized I didn't reply to your last email...I was at work and got sidetracked...and well shoot. sorry about that). Anyways...I have never had a soft boiled egg. (must fix that and soon) you're little cups are darling!

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  16. What an amazing dish, simply gorgeous. That bread, the egg....just wow. Sigh.

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  17. They are so sweet Sam...the perfect Valentine's lunch, xv.

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  18. Oh yum. I would love to eat that any time of year...

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  19. Sam, this looks divine! Great photography too. I love soft boiled eggs and love the instructions for eating it! Think I will make it for MYSELF, haha, as hubby donesn't eat soft boiled eggs. I will make him a heart shaped pancake. Congrats on the awards, I love your blog.

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  20. Who would ever have thought boiled eggs could look so glamorous?!

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  21. How gorgeous is this! What a wonderful luncheon. It would make anyone feel loved. Congratulations on your awards, Sam. They are well-deserved. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  22. That is one elegant looking breakfast, brunch or lunch Sam! IfI found this waiting for me, I would feel very special.

    Congratulations on your awards. Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day.

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  23. What lovely egg cups from Laura! Tres chic!

    This is a perfect light and delicious breakfast or lunch. I love Clotilde's recipes and I enjoyed learning a new and charming "good luck" way to eat a soft boiled egg.

    Happy St. Valentine's Day!

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  24. Those little egg cups bring back so many memories for me.

    My Great Grama gave several egg cups to my Mom and as a special treat she would make up soft boiled in and serve them in the cup. Oh my gosh, I've not thought of that in probably 40 years.

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  25. Those egg cups are just so perfect for oeufs Sam. Tres bien!!

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  26. Aww how cute- love the egg cups! Your bread looks super delicious - love the market pics!

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  27. Your egg cups are darling! I wish my children enjoyed soft boiled eggs the way that I do. This looks wonderful!

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  28. I have made Clothilde's recipe and it is always a hit. I have never put it in anything as lovely as those darling egg cups. What a beautiful table!

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  29. Happy Valentine's Day Sam to you and your sweetie. The snow is moving closer to Florida. We are heading to the Keys soon. There has to be a warm place somewhere. Love your egg cups and I really want to make this meal.

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  30. Eggs in Coquetiers look so special. I love the accompanying finger bread.

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  31. Happy Valentine's Day, Sam...hope you were able to dodge some of the latest bad weather and won't be having a white Valentine's Day :-)

    Love the egg cups...tres chic! I have several of Clotilde's books...they are so fun to read.

    Thanks!

    Diane

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  32. Oh, what a lovely post, especially enoyed your description of how to eat the egg - and end on a note of good luck! Happy Valentine's Day, Sam!

    ~ Cleo
    Mystery Lovers' Kitchen
    “Six mystery writers cooking up crime…and recipes.”

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  33. Beautiful French breakie - I would be your Valentine if you made me this Sunday morning!

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  34. As always, you have the most beautiful and edible blog! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

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  35. Great shots, and thank you for mentioning my blog - which incidentally is "Laura's Paris Cooking Notebook", though I also like Laura's Paris kitchen, a place where I spend a LOT of time!

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  36. Just stumbled across your blog! I have always wanted egg cups and have never run across any that I really liked. This was what my father made for me anytime I was sick as a child. This is real comfort food to me!

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  37. Happy Valentine's Day, Sam *hugs & kisses*

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  38. This reminds me of the soft-boiled eggs and toast 'soldiers' my mum made me as a child. Lovely post, Sam.

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  39. Dear, dear Sam,

    Happy, happy Valentine's Day. I'm sure it is judging from what you have shared.

    Your egg cups are darling. You definitely capture that wonderful French aesthetic of delicious food and beautiful presentation.

    xoxo,Tish

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  40. Sam, your blog is so lovely and the food makes me hungry just to look at it. Thanks for sharing how to eat the soft boiled eggs in the egg cups. I used to have egg cups and gave them away because I never used them. Now I wish I had some to try this recipe. I am a big lover of eggs, any way you fix them.
    I am amazed at how far you have come with your blog since our class last year.

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  41. Sam, what darling egg cups! Loved them and the recipe you made.

    I'm late to wish you Happy Valentine's Day, but the sentiment is there all the same. Hope it was very happy!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  42. Happy belated Valentine's Day! Oh, I envy you these lovely little egg cups; it may be difficult to enjoy these eggs and bread fingers without a way to hold up the former. 8-) What a marvelous meal!

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  43. Oeufs à la coque must be the most simple and best meal ever. Yours looks perfect. And love the coquetiers! Lucky you!

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  44. Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day. The eggs are just gorgeous, reading your post made me feel like I was back in Paris

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