This week, we go back to the beginning of the menu with a delicious appetizer recipe from the Bromberg Brothers, whose Blue Ribbon Restaurant has been a favorite of foodlovers since 1992. Read on for a spicy treat from two sibling chefs with a passion “for making whatever they make the best it can be.”
Spicy Egg Shooters
Serves 2 to 4
We started making these hard-boiled-egg snacks when we were building and opening Blue Ribbon Bakery. One day, a farmer from upstate showed up at our door. He explained that he had only a handful of birds and produced a modest number of eggs per week, but he was sure if we tried the eggs we’d be hooked.
We put a pot of water on the stove, and in went several of the randomly sized and colored day-old eggs. Once they were boiled and we sliced them in half, the yolks were vibrant and the whites pristine and pale. The eggs tasted fantastic all by themselves, but when Flavio Guaman, our sous-chef, sliced up a jalapeño to put on top, sprinkled on some kosher salt, and gave one to the farmer, it was the farmer’s turn for revelation! We added a little mayo and decided to use pickled peppers instead of raw jalapeños. A whole new egg concept was born.
Spicy Egg Shooters
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons Olive Oil Mayonnaise
2 Pickled Peppers, thinly Sliced
Perfect Saute Seasoning or salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the eggs in a saucepan; fill with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs, then plunge in ice water to cool. Peel and halve lengthwise.
2. Arrange the egg halves yolk side up on a platter. Top each half generously with mayonnaise. Sprinkle the eggs with peppers and seasoning and serve.
VARIATION: Egg Shooters with Smoked Trout and Trout Roe
Substitute crème fraîche for the mayonnaise and omit the peppers and seasoning. Top with 1 ounce flaked smoked trout, 2 tablespoons trout or salmon caviar, and chopped fresh chives.
Reprinted from Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook by Bruce Bromberg, Eric Bromberg, and Melissa Clark. Copyright (c) 2010. Photos (c) Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.
