Eggs Pontchartrain Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the butter, onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Deglaze the pan by adding the Chardonnay and making sure to scrape all the delicious bits that may have started to stick from the bottom. Juice the lemon through your fingers into the saute pan, tossing any seeds, then throw the lemon rinds in the pan as well. Simmer this mixture until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in thyme, paprika and cayenne, followed by the chicken stock, then bring everything to a rolling boil. Add the heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Upon reaching a second boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove and toss the lemons. Season your creamy base with salt and pepper. To thicken the base into Pontchartrain sauce, you will need to combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water into a thin paste, or slurry, in a bowl, and slowly whisk into your simmering base. Continue to make and add slurry at the same 1-to-2 ratio as needed and add a little at a time until sauce starts to show gentle trails behind the whisk, much like a thin gravy. Once adequately thickened, add the crawfish tail meat to the sauce and simmer for another couple minutes to cook out the raw cornstarch flavor and heat the crawfish through.
• And now you have Pontchartrain sauce! At this point it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving.
• To prepare for serving, add the Pontchartrain sauce to a saute pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the raw shrimp to the sauce and simmer until the shrimp have become opaque and begun to curl, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a pile of rice on each of four plates, then top each with 4 cooked shrimp and spoon the Pontchartrain sauce over everything.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake bacon in a single layer on a sheet pan for 10 to 15 minutes. When crisp break bacon in halves. Set aside.
• Pour cold water into a 10-inch saute pan to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so that the surface of the water barely shimmers. Add the vinegar. Break 4 of the eggs into individual saucers, then gently slide them out 1 at a time into the water and, with a large spoon, and lift the white over the yolk. Repeat the lifting once or twice to completely enclose each yolk. Poach until the whites are set and the yolks feel firm yet soft when touched gently, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and either serve immediately, or place in a shallow pan or large bowl of cold water.
• Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding more water as needed to keep the depth at 2 inches, and bringing the water to a simmer before adding the eggs.
• To serve, reheat the eggs as necessary by slipping them into simmering water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place 2 toasted English muffin halves on each of 4 plates and lay 2 half strips of bacon on each. Place 1 poached egg on top of each muffin half and drizzle with the Tasso Hollandaise. Arrange the oysters on top of the eggs and around each plate, garnishing with the chopped green onions and parsley, and serve immediately.
• In the top of a double boiler, or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons water until egg yolks are thick and pale yellow. Remove the double boiler or bowl and saucepan from the heat and gradually add the butter, whisking constantly to thicken. Add enough tepid water to thin to pouring consistency. Add the tasso, salt, and cayenne and whisk well to blend. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
• Serve immediately, or cover to keep warm for up to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep from separating.
• In a bowl, combine the buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Add the oysters and marinate for 20 minutes.
• Combine the masa harina and flour with the remaining Essence in a shallow dish.
• In a deep-fryer or a medium, heavy pot with high sides, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
• Dredge the oysters in the flour mixture and shake the pieces in a strainer to remove any excess. Carefully add to the hot oil in batches, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the oysters with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
• Published by William Morrow, 1993.

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp. (For ease of handling, leave tails intact.) Steam shrimp just until cooked through. Let cool. Cut a "pocket" in the back of each shrimp, 3/4 through, from head to top of tail section.
• Combine cheese, blue cheese, cream, Worcestershire and Tabasco; mix thoroughly. Spoon filling into pocket of each shrimp, pressing to fill cavity. Place stuffed shrimp on a tray; refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Combine milk and eggs in measuring cup or narrow bowl, whisking until well blended. Place flour and crumbs in two separate shallow dishes. Dip each stuffed shrimp in egg mixture, roll in flour, dip back into egg mixture, then roll in crumbs.
• Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet; place in freezer for at least 1 hour or until ready to cook.
• Add oil to a deep skillet to a depth of 1 inch; heat to 325 degrees. Fry shrimp until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not overcook,or filling will melt away). Drain on paper towels; serve hot.
• Yield: 36 stuffed shrimp (9 appetizer or 6 main course servings).
• Testers' note: A table knife works well for stuffing the shrimp.

Steps:

• Preheat large skillet with olive oil on Medium heat.
• Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and beat slightly.
• On a plate, mix breadcrumbs, flour and seasoning.
• Take each chicken breast and dip both sides in the egg, and then dredge both sides in flour mixture, making sure they're evenly coated.
• Cook until no longer pink inside and outside is a golden brown, flipping once.
• Set aside.
• Meanwhile, put olives, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, articoke hearts, parsley, and salt & pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until it's all minced. Add diced tomatoes to mixture.
• Set aside.
• Then, in a medium saucepan saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoons butter until tender.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and slowly mix in whipping cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer over very low heat until thick.
• Just before serving stir in wine and dressing mixture.
• To plate: Spread 1 serving of Zatarain's Dirty Rice on the bottom of the plate. Put chicken in the center of the plate and top with cream sauce. Enjoy!