Egg » The Saucy Coq

WILD MUSHROOM PASTA with QUAIL EGG

We’re lucky enough to live across from a Whole Foods Market. Before you anti-establishment cooks ream me out for not shopping at a reeeeal market, I’ll tell you that I love buying the fresh, aromatic ingredients that any local purveyor has to sell me. Our weekends usually involve at least one trip to some destination food market; and NYC has no shortage of them. Any time we do end up at a food market, I tend to buy way too much of some obscure ingredient because it’s fresh, and then have to come up with something to do with it when I get home, and alas, I (often) manage. It’s one part of cooking that I love.

But, having a 62,000 ft² grocery store complete with its own artisanal cheese shop, craft beer store and culinary education kitchen across the street makes for an easy decision. The selection of choice, locally grown organic ingredients is unbeatable. Actually, any time I’m in there it reminds me of Seinfeld’s bit about supermarkets. Funny stuff.

So, I thought I’d buy a pile of mushrooms and make wild mushroom pasta. If you can’t find some of the varieties I’ve listed below, don’t sweat it; just try and get a nice selection of fresh mushrooms. Try to avoid button mushrooms if you can…they don’t offer much flavor here.

Wild Mushroom Pasta:

½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb cremini mushrooms, brushed and quartered
½ lb mixed fresh mushrooms like chanterelles, bluefoot & royal trumpet, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
½ cup dry white wine
Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch chopped fresh thyme
Handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Zest and juice of a lemon
Handful each of fresh pecorino and parmesan cheese
2 Quail eggs

Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté fresh mushrooms with garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander, then add it to mushrooms in skillet. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over moderately high heat, tossing and adding some pasta-cooking liquid if necessary to lightly coat, 1 minute. Add chives, parsley, lemon zest and juice, then toss well.

While the pasta rests for a moment, heat a small frying pan to medium and add a splash of oil. When it’s hot, fry the quail eggs until the whites are cooked, but the yolk is still runny. Quail eggs are small, so this only takes about a minute.

Serve pasta with cheese, fresh parsley, pepper and top with quail eggs.

Bon apetit!

THE WEEKENDER BRUNCH: SAUCY COQ’S FRENCH TOAST

I hereby declare Friday’s the official day for brunch posts on The Saucy Coq because brunch is my favorite meal. This is most likely due to its close association with the weekend. I’ll be posting a brunch on Fridays that you should make on the weekend.

Remember when America was replacing “French” with “Freedom” on menus? Do you remember that s**t?? Freedom Toast. Because France wasn’t worthy of the egg soaked bread meal. As an homage to this fine blip on the radar of American history, I’m making French Toast with French Baguette. And, I’m drinking it with a Latte, which sounds French, but is actually Italian. But, whatever.

Saucy Coq’s French Toast

1 french baguette, sliced on a bias in 1 inch pieces
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange blossom water
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
8 slices thick cut smoked bacon
1 pint of blackberries
Good quality maple syrup
Raw cocoa (optional)

I love cooking my bacon in the oven. Seems to come out so much better than in a pan. Most of the fat drips off and the bacon stays straight and crisp. Works very well for thick cut bacon like this. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with tinfoil and lay the bacon out on a metal rack on the pan. Bake in the oven for ~20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy. I use the metal rack out of our microwave.

Crack the eggs in to a mixing bowl (minus the shells) and beat together with the milk, vanilla, orange water and cinnamon.

If your bowl is big enough, drench all of the bread in the egg mixture and let soak for 5-10 minutes, otherwise, transfer egg mixture to a large shallow baking dish and cover bread.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tbsp of butter (for each batch) in the pan until foamy. Cook French toast until golden brown on each side (about 5 minutes each side). You’ll notice the French toast I made is a bit too dark. Still tastes great, but I probably left it in a bit too long.

Transfer to a plate. Top with a pad of butter, fresh blackberries, grated cocoa and good quality maple syrup.

Now, here’s where things get sticky. You’ll notice I said “good quality” maple syrup above. I’m serious. Don’t mess around here. If you’re going to make this, wait until you’ve bought some really good syrup. Not EZ Plastic Squeeze Bottle brand. I grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada, near St Joseph’s Island. After 18 years there, I moved to Montreal, Quebec for 10 years. If you’re not familiar, St Joseph’s Island and Quebec produce the two best Maple syrups in the world. Chew on that!

Top ‘o the mornin!