Coddle your mother with this quick and easy center piece!
Is “quick coddled” an oxymoron ? But such is life that we crave the essence of the slow poaching while skipping the time and mollycoddling the recipe calls for. Haha.
Microgreens is one of my favorite food groups. Today I use the in-season popcorn shoots. One of the popular ways of respecting microgreens is to toss them in a salad (see pea shoots) . However, I take a different route here: I don’t upright-stack the corn shoots in the presentation like many chefs do, but immerse them in the eggs.
The other magic ingredient is green olive tapenade. It is quite alright to use a store-bought one- just make sure that you trust the source. The extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to grease the cazuela accentuates the tapenade even further.
I may have thrown the rule-book to wind by subjecting both the microgreens and the tapenade to heat; but the result is worth the revolt!
Special tools:
Chinese bamboo steaming basket
Individual clay cazuela dish
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten, with a pinch of salt and black pepper
- 4 oz popcorn shoots chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tsp green tapenade
- 1 tsp EVOO
Method
Oil the clay cazuela dish with the EVOO. Use a brush to oil the sides of the dish as well. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour into the dish. Steam on high heat for 3 minutes.
Serve steaming hot.
Notes, hints, tips:
- For multiple servings, stack multiple steaming baskets.
- If you do not have access to the steaming basket, you can use a pair of loosely stackable frying pans. Pour water in the larger pan and bring to a rapid boil. Oil the smaller pan and add the eggs. Cover and place in the larger pan. Steam for around 4 minutes and check for the doneness to your liking.
- Any other light tender greens can be substituted for the popcorn shoots.
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