Eggland's Best Featured Recipe: Spicy Poached Egg over Cheddar Fried Potatoes

Scrambled, fried or folded over into an omelet, over easy, sunny side up and poached into a neat little pocket, eggs are incredible.  Often my go-to option when I'm so exhausted from hours on my feet at culinary school I can't even see straight, there's nothing more satisfying then whisking together some eggs and grabbing some bits of this and that from the fridge to make an effortless, light, yet still satisfying dinner.  That being said, a quick scramble might be all fine and good for a night when I'm eating my dinner standing up in my kitchen sporting my most comfortable sweatpants, but sometimes I think there needs to be a little more pomp and circumstance.  Sometimes that egg just needs to be shown a little more respect and given more attention and made into the type of meal you sit at the table for and heartily enjoy.

When Eggland's Best contacted me and asked me to create a recipe featuring their eggs, I, being fresh off of a couple of weeks at school focusing solely on the egg and feeling particularly geeky, wanted to first find out if their eggs truly were superior (and worth the often additional cost) when compared to the average grocery store variety.  Buying one carton of generic large grocery store eggs and one carton of large Eggland's Best Eggs, both bearing approximately the same expiration date, I got home and cracked one egg from each carton and separated the whites from the yokes to test for freshness.  I found that the Eggland's Best had the whites clinging to the yoke much more firmly (this indicates freshness).  The Eggland's Best egg also was a significantly deeper and brighter shade of yellow, usually indicating the chicken's diet and additionally making for a more flavorful egg and much more beautiful presentation, proving that these are the types of eggs you buy to enjoy as the main part of a meal, not hide into a baked good.

Once I was done playing mad scientist in my kitchen, I got to work creating a recipe featuring the Eggland's Best Egg.  Lately I've been obsessed with poached eggs, I just love the theatrics of them.  They sit there, all soft and delicate until a small pierce from a  fork releases the yoke, which rushes out in a waterfall of thick, creamy deliciousness.  I had always been intimidated by poaching eggs, it seemed so tricky but it's actually quite simple.  As long as you carefully slide an egg into a salt and vinegared almost-boiling water bath (steam should be coming off the surface and little bubbles should be streaming to the top) then you'll be totally fine and well on your way to a deliciously poached egg.

I particularly like this recipe because it starts with a bed of ultra crispy red potato disks topped with melted tangy sharp cheddar cheese and then the star of the show, the poached egg, is delicately placed on top and fiery chipotle-tomato sauce is lightly spooned on top while vibrant green parsley tumbles over, providing a light accent of fresh flavor.  These are the types of eggs that mornings were made for.  

Check out the recipe (and more pictures) after the jump!


Post disclaimer: the content of this post reflects my views and thoughts on Eggland's Best Eggs.  I was no compensated for the statements made and although had been asked to create a recipe for them, was not asked to compare and contrast their eggs versus average grocery store eggs.  That's just a result of my own geekiness and me wanting to share :)

Spicy Poached Egg over Cheddar Fried Potatoes

Serves 2

- 2 red bliss potatoes, sliced very thinly

- 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for the pan

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

- 1 cup of good quality canned diced tomatoes

- 1 clove garlic, finely minced

- 1-2 TBS chipotle puree (depending how hot you like it)

- 2 Eggland’s Best Eggs

- Water for poaching

- 1 generous splash of distilled white vinegar

- Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

In a large skillet, add 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil and lay the potato slices over the oil.  Season with salt and pepper and turn the heat on medium-high.  Keep the potatoes frying, turning occasionally until the potatoes start to brown and become crispy.  Once this has happened, push all the potatoes to the center of the pan and separate into two piles.  Sprinkle with cheese, turn off the heat, cover and set aside. 

In another pan, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and heat the garlic until it starts to soften.  Add the diced tomatoes and chipotle puree.  Salt and pepper to taste and let the sauce simmer until ready to serve.

In a shallow pot, bring water, generous splash of vinegar and a couple pinches of salt to a hot simmer (The water should be steaming and little bubbles should be rising to the top).  Crack one egg into a small and shallow bowl and slowly slide the egg into the hot water.  Repeat the process with the remaining egg.  When the eggs starts to turn a consistent white color, gently remove the egg from the water and remove any excess white lacy parts of the whites.

To assemble, carefully place the pile of potatoes and cheese onto a plate.  Top with the poached egg and spoon the sauce over the egg.  Sprinkle with parsley, serve immediately.