Carrie Solomon moved to France around two decades ago on a decision on a whim…
“I could say I did it in order to learn the language,” she says in her new publication Boheme Cooking however “really, I did it for the bread and cheese — a staple of my college vegetarian diet.” It was not easy to be vegan in France in a country where “lardons were scattered on every frisee salad,” however, in the course of time (and following her work with vegetarian-focused Chef Alain Passard), Carrie was drawn to host garden-friendly gatherings. Her food is sophisticated and simple, the kind of food you’ll want keep on hand to enjoy during the summer, such as eggs that are simple, like mayonnaise and capers that have been fried.
As Carrie says that this dish is “the cousin to deviled eggs. The distinction lies in the egg yolks remain intact. Instead of filling the eggs with eggs and covering them in mayonnaise… No matter if you pour the mayonnaise out with the weight of your hand or otherwise, you’ll need to serve them with a slice of bread to smother any remaining mayonnaise, or even bits of capers fried. You can also alter the topping. My advice is to put something salty on top of the dish -like pickles, capers olives, pickles — and something crunchy, like crispy shallots, fried herb, toasted buckwheat or herby breadcrumbs. You can make these as you like!”
Oeufs mayonnaise together with Fried Capers
From Boheme Cooking: French Vegetarian Recipes by Carrie Solomon
Serves 4
6 eggs medium (see note)
2 tablespoons capers
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Sea salt
3/4 cup mayonnaise homemade or store-bought
Espelette chili powder or chili peppers Optional
Make a medium-sized saucepan of water a simmer and make the cold water bath. Put the eggs in the pot using an egg-scramming spoon or another large spoon. The eggs should be cooked between 7 and 9 mins, based on how cooked your yolks. I prefer mine cooked for 7 minutes and 30 seconds. result with an egg which is soft on the inside, with the whites being more or less firm and easy to peel. For a more firm yolk (and white) Add an additional couple of minutes. Once the eggs are finished cooking, immediately put their eggs into the bath of cold water and let them sit for three minutes. After that, allow the eggs to cool down in their shells at temperatures of room temperature. Eggs cooked in hot water are more fragile than cold eggs and should be removed only after they have cooled. eggs after they’ve cool down for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, you can make the fry capers. Press the capers gently between the edges of an old kitchen towel to extract the most liquid possible. Warm half of the olive oil in a small fry pan on medium temperature. Add the capers, and pan cook them for 1 to 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden. Take them off and place them on the towel. Then, heat the remaining oil, and cook the rosemary about 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden. Sprinkle the rosemary lightly with salt then remove it from the pan and place it on a towel.
Peel the eggs, then cut the eggs into halves lengthwise. Put eggs on a plate for serving. I like to set half eggs flat side facing down. This will prevent them from slipping across the table. Spread the mayonnaise on the top of each egg, and then sprinkle them with rosemary, fried capers along with sea salt. I also like topping the eggs with a bit of Espelette spice and caviar of mustard seeds. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to two hours prior to serving.
Be aware that the cooking time for eggs may differ based on the dimension and the temperature. Small eggs will cook for a minute quicker than a medium egg while a larger egg can take between 1 and 2 minutes longer. An egg that is cold takes 30 seconds longer to cook as compared to an egg that is room temperature so bear this in your mind. If you’re cooking more than six eggs, I recommend making the egg boil in small batches because overcrowding your pot could alter the time of cooking.
