Eggs Poached In Buttery Sorrel Sauce Recipes

POACHED EGGS WITH SORREL SAUCE

Steps:

• Pick over the sorrel. Discard any tough stems and blemished leaves. Rinse the leaves and pat them dry. Pack the leaves closely and cut them crosswise into very thin strips. This is called a chiffonade There should be about two cups or slightly more when loosely packed.
• Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and, using a wire whisk, stir in the flour. When blended, add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Let simmer about 10 minutes or until reduced to about one and one-quarter cups. Stir in the cream, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Let simmer about five minutes or until reduced to one and three-quarter cups.
• Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the sorrel. Stir until the sorrel is wilted and remove from the heat.
• Scrape the sorrel mixture into the sauce. Stir in the nutmeg and cayenne.
• Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan or deep skillet and add the vinegar. Carefully break the eggs into the simmering liquid, keeping them separate. Let them simmer until the whites are firm and the yolks remain soft. Carefully scoop out each egg and let drain on absorbent paper toweling.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Using a three-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the center of each bread slice. Or, alternatively, trim the outside crusts from the bread and cut each slice into two triangles. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and butter each piece of bread on both sides and place under the broiler until golden brown on both sides, turning once.
• Arrange one egg on each piece of round toast or two triangles and spoon an equal portion of the sauce over each serving.

SORREL SOUP WITH HARD-BOILED EGGS

Steps:

• Make a rich beef stock by simmering beef bones in 9 cups water over medium-low heat, skimming the gray scum that rises to the top. Add trimmed, pared and split vegetables, the tablespoon of salt and the pepper, the bay leaf and the dried mushrooms. (If using Italian mushrooms, first soak for 20 minutes in warm water to soften, then rinse to remove sand.) Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook for two hours. When cooking is done, discard vegetables and bones. Cool in refrigerator or freezer, then skim fat if necessary.
• Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil, add remaining teaspoon salt and one tablespoon of the butter. When butter has melted, add rice. Cook, partly covered, about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked through but not mushy. Set aside.
• Wash and drain sorrel. Bring stock to a rolling boil and add sorrel all at once. Stir, and cook until sorrel is soft, about 5 minutes.
• While sorrel is cooking, mix sour cream with flour to make a smooth paste. Add a little boiling stock and mix well. Keep adding stock and mixing until you have a cup of liquid. When sorrel is cooked, beat the sour cream mixture into the hot soup. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Cook at a gentle boil about 5 minutes longer.
• Melt remaining butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add croutons and toss until browned.
• To serve, put a quarter-cup mound of rice in each soup plate. Pour the hot soup around it and top with chopped eggs, croutons and finely minced dill. Serve immediately.