My childhood memories of Easter holidays include fancy flower dresses that I was so excited to wear even though it was always still a bit cold, baskets filled with chocolates hidden among green plastic grass, and brunch with my family. When I was a little kid my family and I used to go to a hotel in downtown Baltimore to eat. In my memory, the place was huge with people and buffet lines on multiple floors. I remember it feeling like such a party and it was so exciting that I could eat all kinds of different foods at the same time.

From one of those occasions there’s a picture of me and my brother Eric standing next to the Easter Bunny giving him the side eye. We’re looking at him with a mixture of fear (because he’s a stranger and a giant rabbit) and respect (because earlier he had brought us a basket of candy). It’s a hilarious picture and one day if I find it I’ll post it here to show you. Anyway, I liked going to brunch with my family. And I like that brunch is a part of my Easter celebration memories. Most holidays are all about big roasted dinners and I like that breakfast gets its chance to be fancy.

One of the brunch foods I love is Eggs Benedict. Well, not Eggs Benedict because I don’t eat ham, but Eggs Royale. Eggs Royale substitutes smoked salmon for the ham and it is delicious. But, regardless of the meat there is just something about the presentation of fluffy poached eggs smothered in hollandaise sauce that feels special. It’s one of those dishes that  gives me a thrill when I can see a server coming over with my order and it’s a dish that I can’t wait to eat.

My mind was set on making standard Eggs Royale for Easter brunch – that is, until inspiration struck. Last last week Ryan and I went to a new place in our neighborhood called the Barn and I had an awesome breakfast. I had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with avocado and crushed red peppers. It was creamy with a little spice at the same time. It was an interesting combination of flavors, but using really familiar and easy to access ingredients. I decided I should turn this dish into our Easter Brunch. So here it is, a new twist on a recipe, Eggs Royale with avocado.

Part of what defines Eggs Royale (or Eggs Benedict) is the hollandaise sauce on top. Hollandaise is is an emulsion of butter and egg yolks. You can definitely buy hollandaise sauce from the super market, but it will be sweeter and tarter than if you make it on your own. Even so, I was feeling intimidated about making it by hand. And Julia Child even said I should learn to make it the traditional way. But, then I also found her recipe for making it quickly in a blender and I was less nervous. She literally says an 8 year-old could do it. Also, in a blind taste test Ryan preferred the homemade version over the store bought. So try making it for yourself because people will notice.

Messy level: This recipe is really all about the prep. There’s some amount of chopping, toasting, blending, and egg cracking – all of which leads to dishes or using some appliances. It’s not terrible and you shouldn’t have a horrible mess, but be warned you should be organized to keep your kitchen neat.

Inspiration from the Barn, hollandaise sauce recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume 1, and the poached egg method is from an earlier Cooking is Messy post.

Eggs Royale

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A recipe for poached eggs, hollandaise, with avocado and an English muffin. This recipe is written to serve two people two eggs. However the recipe can easily be increased to serve more people. Additionally, the hollandaise recipewritten as is will serve more than two people.

Ingredients

Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pinch of pepper
• 4 oz butter

Poached Eggs

• water
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon vinegar

Other Sandwich Materials

• 2 English Muffins
• 8 slices smoked salmon (or to taste)
• 16 slices of avocado (or to taste)
• red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Start with the hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper into a blender.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces and place into a small saucepan. Heat on medium until the butter is hot and foaming. Remove from heat.
3. Turn the blender on high and blend for two seconds.
4. While the blender is still on, open the top (if you don't have a small opening on your blender, use a towel to cover the top a little bit) and pour the hot butter into the egg mixture drop by drop. [Note: I wasn't coordinated enough to pour drop by drop but I could pour a tiny stream at a time. This made the sauce a bit runnier, but it was still tasty.]
5. Taste the sauce and blend in more seasoning if needed. Set aside.
6. Put about 2 inches of water in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil.
7. Add the salt and vinegar to the water, then lower the heat so the water is just simmering.
8. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl. Bring the edge of the bowl to the top of the water and gently slide the eggs in. Cook for 3-5 minutes. The longer you cook the more solid the yolk.
9. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a low simmer then repeat the above step with the last two eggs.
10. While the eggs are cooking, cut the English muffins in half and toast them to your liking.
11. Take two plates and put both sides of one English muffin on each plate.
12. Put 2 slices of smoked salmon on top of each English muffin half.
13. Put 4 slices of avocado on top of the salmon.
14. Place one poached egg on top of the avocado.
15. Using a spoon, drizzle hollandaise sauce on top of the egg.
16. Sprinkle a generous pinch of red pepper flakes on top of the hollandaise.
17. Serve immediately so the eggs will still be warm.

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Almost every time I go to a book store, I look at Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I hold it in my hand and I think about buying it. Julia Child is an iconic American cook and it feels like this book is one of those books you’re supposed to have if you are a cooking enthusiast. But, I never buy it. I never buy the book because usually it’s a gigantic hardcover and costs a ton of money and will be frustrating to lug home. However, that day in the book store they had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a slim paperback form. The book was inexpensive, the size of  novel, and would easily fit into my purse.

I had a quick internal debate with myself. It went something like this: This is a good deal, I should buy it. Should I buy it? No, I have enough cookbooks. But this is not just any cookbook. It’s Julia Child’s cookbook. And it’s so small and a good price. Should I get both volumes? No, then I’ll definitely have too many and both won’t qualify as an impulse buy. I’ll get just the one. What if it’s written with European measurements since I’m buying it in London? Whew, no it’s not. Ok I’ll get it. Should I check on Amazon to see if I get a better deal? No, if I do that I’ll definitely talk myself out of this. Ok, let’s buy it.

Does all of that back and forth make me sound neurotic? Maybe. But, now I had the book and it was time to start cooking. No surprise, the book is really nice. The tone is straightforward but helpful and encouraging in the notes and directions. There are tables for weight and temperature conversions, helpful illustrations, and information on what types of tools to use.

I decided to start with beef bourguignon, in part because it sounds delicious, and in part because in the movie Julie and Julia it looks so decadent. Honestly though, I have no idea how Julie Powell ever cooked through this book because some of these recipes take a really long time! Like this one, it takes all day. You should eat lunch while making this, and not just have an ice cream cone. If you just have an ice cream cone you’ll be ravenous by the time this is done. I may or may not have done that. But I’m an adult, I can have ice cream for breakfast if I want to.

Truly, this stew is a lazy Sunday kind of meal because it takes over three hours to prepare. In the end it’s worth it, because all that time creates a complex and layered broth that is so lovely. The meat becomes tender, the onions soft and herbal in flavor, and the mushrooms (which I usually hate) have a nice silky texture.

Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. Also, a warning, this recipe has two mini-recipes within the larger recipe.

Messy level: I found this one hard to quantify. You can definitely reuse pots and pans in this recipe. And, while the stew is in the oven for 3 hours, there is plenty of time for  leisurely clean up. However, even though my kitchen didn’t look like a disaster at the end of cooking, I know I used a lot of knives, cutting boards, pots, pans, and general utensils. Even just writing out the instructions, I was exhausted by the amount of dishes needed. I just had to give this four spoons.

Beef Bourguignon

 

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Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 oz streaky bacon (you can also buy this pre-cut into lardons)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds lean stew beef, cut in 2 inch cubes
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 oz flour (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1¼ pints (about 3 cups), red wine (I used Chianti)
• ¾ pint (slightly less than 2 cups), beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled

brown-braised onions

• 18 small onions (about 1" long)
• 1 oz butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ pint (slightly more than ½ cup) beef stock or dry wine (red or white, I used white)
• salt and pepper
• 4 parsley sprigs
• ½ bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon thyme

sauteed mushrooms

• 2 oz butter
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cut in quarters

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into lardons (sticks ¼x1½" long)
2. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the bacon to the simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and dry.
3. Preheat oven to 450/230°.
4. In a saucepan, saute the bacon in oil over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes. This is to brown them slightly.
5. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
6. Make sure the fat is still hot, then add the beef a few pieces at a time. Cook until browned on all sides.
7. Remove beef from fat and put with the bacon.
8. In the same fat, now cook the vegetables until browned.
9. Put the bacon, beef, and vegetables in a large casserole dish. Season with the salt and pepper, then mix.
10. Now sprinkle with the flour and mix again to lightly coat everything in flour.
11. Place casserole in the oven for 4 minutes.
12. Remove from oven, mix the meat again. Return to the oven for 4 more minutes.
13. Remove casserole from the oven, and turn it down to 325/160°.
14. Stir in the wine. Then add enough beef stock so the meat is just covered.
15. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs.
16. Cover the casserole, and place in the oven.
17. Cook for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when a fork can easily piece it.
18. While the beef is cooking, first prepare the brown-braised onions. Peel the onions (you can do this straight away or by putting them into boiling water for 10 seconds, then it's easier)
19. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil. Heat until the fat is bubbling a bit.
20. Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Roll the onions around so they brown as evenly as possible.
21. Then, pour in the liquid (stock or wine). Add the herbs (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf) to the liquid.
22. Cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 40-50 minutes. The onions are done when they are tender but aren't mushy, and the liquid has evaporated.
23. Next start on the sautéed mushrooms. Clean out the frying pan you used for the onions. Heat up the butter and oil over high heat. Once the butter is done foaming, add the mushrooms.
24. Toss the mushrooms for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
25. Ok your meat is finally done! Using a sieve, or a slotted spoon, separate the meat and vegetables from the broth.
26. Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim off the fat. Heat the broth until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
27. Plate the beef and vegetables. Pour the broth over meat. Eat!

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The post Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

The first recipe I watched was for soup au pistou and I knew it was the perfect winter soup. Yes, it calls for green beans and basil so technically it might be more of a spring soup, but it’s everything I want right now. It’s cold, it’s windy, and sometimes dreary and I want soup. This soup is hearty without being heavy, full of vegetables, and the pistou (kind of like a pesto) gives the broth a robust flavor.

Now, this recipe is adapted from Julia Child’s for a few reasons. First, she used just water in her broth. I used a mix of water and chicken broth because I had an open container of broth in the fridge that had to be used. You could definitely use all water, more chicken broth, or even vegetable broth. Second, Julia calls for either leeks or onions and I used a mix of both. The reason being my leeks didn’t go as far as I thought they would.

The third adaptation is that Julia has a beautiful gilded soup tureen and I do not. Does anyone have a soup tureen anymore? Julia makes the pistou, then puts it in the soup tureen, and then slowly mixes in the soup from her pot. It looked beautiful, but… really? Since I don’t have a soup tureen do I really need to use two pots? I don’t think so, and I’ve come up with my own solution for those of us lacking in a soup tureen. If you have a soup tureen, I’d love to know it. Send me a picture or write in the comments below!

Ingredients:

3 quarts liquid (water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth)

2 cups diced waxy potatoes (I used Yukon gold)

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced leeks, or onions, or a combination of the two

1 tbsp salt

1 15oz can of white navy beans, drained

1/3 cup broken spaghetti (Julia used orzo, I just smashed up some pasta)

2 cups green beans, cut to 1″ length

ground black pepper

Pistou:

4 cloves crushed garlic (I just minced 4 cloves of garlic then smushed them a bit)

4 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil (or a little more or less to your liking. Julia Child said between 1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions:

Prep step: Chop all your vegetables!

1. Bring liquid, potatoes, carrots, leeks/onions, and salt to a boil in a large pot (6 quart pot would be best).

2. Once it’s come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

3. Add beans and spaghetti. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Right after you’ve added the beans and spaghetti, make the pistou. Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon or pestle and mash up the ingredients until you form a lumpy paste. Then, slowly, about a teaspoon at a time, mix in the olive oil. Add olive oil until you have something the consistency of pesto. I used about a 1/3 of a cup in total oil. Set aside until soup is finished.

5.  Add the green beans. Cook for 5-10 minutes. You want them to be a bit crunchy, but cooked through. Basically, stay away from mushy green beans.

6. When soup is done, add 1-2 cups of soup to your pistou. Whisk the soup and pistou until smooth. Then, gently pour the pistou soup into the rest of the soup post. Mix that together until the broth is a beautiful red-orange color throughout.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Messy level: Honestly, for the number of ingredients, I’m surprised to give this recipe 1 spoon. There is so little mess! All I had to do was chop, heat, and mix. You’ll end up with very few dishes and almost no splatter. This recipe is a winner!

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