Fontina ‘Fonduta’ with Duck Eggs
Serve this classic Italian-style fondue with crudité and warm crostini for an enticing appetizer.
Ingredients:
1/3 pound Fontina-style cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 duck egg yolks
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Toasted bread crostini, for dipping
Assorted sliced vegetable crudité, for dipping
Optional:
Poached duck eggs
Thinly shaved fresh truffle
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the Fontina, milk and cream and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the cheese starts to melt, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and egg yolks and cook over low heat, stirring, until very smooth, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the fonduta to a warmed serving bowl or fondue pot and sprinkle with additional sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately with the toasted ciabatta. Also delicious served in individual bowls with a poached duck egg in the center of each. Optional: add thinly shaved fresh truffles on top.
Tagliatelle Pasta with Grana Fonduta & Broccoli Rabe
The sauce for this delectable creamy pasta is crafted from duck egg yolks, Grana-style cheese and crème fraîche.
Ingredients:
2 large duck egg yolks
1½ cups crème fraîche
5 ounces Grana-style cheese, finely grated, plus a bit more for finishing
1 medium garlic clove, finely grated on a rasp-style grater
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and separated into florets
1 pound tagliatelle pasta, or other favorite pasta noodle
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small pot. Whisk together the egg yolks, crème fraîche, Grana and garlic in a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly inside the pot without making contact with the boiling water.
2. Set the bowl in the small pot and whisk the egg mixture constantly, occasionally scraping the sides and removing the bowl from the pot every couple of minutes as you whisk to keep the cooking nice and slow (don’t let it boil). Cook just until the sauce has thickened slightly (it should thinly coat the back of a spoon), 6 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside in a warm place.
3. Add the noodles to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, dropping in the broccoli rabe during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli, then return to the pot, tossing to coat with most of the fonduta sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more fonduta as desired. Serve with additional freshly-grated Grana-style cheese.
Poached Duck Eggs over Asparagus with Italian Fonduta
Serve this elegant dish with toasted Italian Rustica bread to sop up those delicious runny egg yolks!
Ingredients:
3-4 duck eggs
1 pound asparagus, ends snapped and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Italian Fonduta (see recipe)
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter or heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, add a serving of the asparagus to a plate, and then top with a poached egg and a generous helping of fonduta. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Duck Egg Carbonara with Bacon
Creamy and indulgent, simple and satisfying, this classic-style carbonara dish gets an added boost from this week’s silky duck eggs.
Ingredients:
6 ounces thick-cut bacon, about 4-6 slices
1 pound bucatini
4 duck egg yolks, plus 1 duck egg
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut the bacon into ½ inch pieces. Cook slowly on low heat in a medium skillet until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, but not crumbling. Drain the bacon from the fat and reserve the drippings to use later. Let the bacon cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. While pasta is boiling, whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt, a couple twists of fresh ground black pepper, and the bacon.
3. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta right away to the bowl of egg mixture. Use a pair of tongs to mix the pasta noodles in with the sauce, turning and scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and continue to mix.
4. Gradually add in the grated parmesan cheese, mixing well before adding more, until you have used the entire ½ cup amount. Continue adding pasta water as needed until the sauce is creamy and emulsified, just a tablespoon at a time. (If you add too much water, the sauce will become thin and start to pool at the bottom of the bowl. Adding a little bit at a time will help you achieve that perfect luscious sauce without accidentally overdoing it.) Serve while hot. Garnish with a final grating of cheese and twist of black pepper.
Duxelles Pasta with Olive Oil-Fried Duck Eggs
This light, creamy pasta is a show-stopper, topped with mushrooms duxelles and fried duck eggs.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
4 duck eggs
¾ cup F&L duxelles
2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook according to package directions, or until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat additional 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
3. Toss pasta with remaining tablespoon of butter, duxelles and fresh parsley. Pile pasta into 4 individual serving bowls and top each with a fried duck egg. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Fried Duck Eggs Over Roasted Fall Vegetables
Shake up your breakfast routine with this hearty, healthy vegetable hash!
Ingredients:
1 pound Huckleberry gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of fronds and root ends and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying the eggs
4 duck eggs
1 teaspoon finely-chopped thyme
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and thyme in a bowl and then transfer to the baking sheet.
3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Remove vegetables from the oven and top each individual serving with a fried duck egg.
Variation: This hash is extremely versatile: Clean out the crisper and use any vegetables you have on hand!
Italian Fontina ‘Fonduta’
The classic Italian-style fondue, crafted with this week’s silky duck eggs.
Ingredients:
8 ounces Fontina-style cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1 duck egg yolk
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the Fontina, milk and cream and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the cheese starts to melt, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and egg yolk and cook over low heat, stirring, until very smooth, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the fonduta to a warmed serving bowl or fondue pot and sprinkle with additional sea salt, if desired.
Poached Duck Eggs over Sautéed Spring Greens & Hedgehog Mushrooms
These creamy poached eggs are perfectly complemented by flavorful kale rapini, pea shoots and Swiss chard greens.
Ingredients:
4 duck eggs
4 teaspoons vinegar
1 large bunch kale rapini, removed of any tough stem ends, florets reserved and greens roughly chopped
1 large bunch Swiss chard, removed of any tough stem ends and greens roughly chopped
2 cups pea shoots
2 cups Hedgehog mushrooms, trimmed of any tough ends
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Grana-style cheese, grated, and crispy breadcrumbs (optional)
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into it’s own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rapini greens and florets, pea shoots, Swiss chard greens and mushrooms and cook until all are just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, add a serving of greens and mushrooms to a plate, and then top with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper, as needed, and top with grated Grana-style cheese and crispy breadcrumbs, if desired.
Poached Duck Egg Salad
The lovely runny egg yolk becomes the vinaigrette for this beautiful salad.
Ingredients:
3-4 cups baby lettuce greens
2 duck eggs
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Toasted pecans (optional)
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into it’s own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for 3 minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Divide the spinach greens onto two plates, then add a poached egg to each. Season the salads with salt and pepper, then drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Top with a generous helping of toasted pecans, if using. Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled for more portions.
Spring Pasta with Asparagus, Kale & Olive Oil-Fried Duck Eggs
This light, creamy pasta is a show-stopper, topped with spring produce and fried duck eggs.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
1 large bunch Lacinato kale, greens stripped of tough ribs, washed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed of root ends, and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1-2 stalks of green garlic, trimmed of root ends and minced
4 duck eggs
2-3 tablespoons butter
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta noodles and cook according to package directions, or until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmery, then add the green garlic, asparagus and kale leaves, tossing to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant, the greens are wilted, and the asparagus are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
4. Add the pasta to the skillet with the kale, return to medium heat briefly, and toss with remaining tablespoon of butter and fresh parsley, until all are combined. Pile noodles into 4 individual serving bowls and top each with a fried duck egg. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.