It started with last weeks'
Top Chef, when the chefs were challenged to deconstruct a classic dish and make it their own. In culinary terms, to "deconstruct" means to take apart the basic components of a dish and rework them in a way which results in a totally different presentation and composition but keeps the same flavor profile. The idea is that you might not know what you're eating until each of the components is assembled on your fork and you taste them all together, resulting in a kind of lightbulb moment. Deconstructing food is something that is sometimes used to keep the familiar flavors of a classic dish while cleaning it up and modernizing it, sometimes making it healthier and sometimes just making it new.
One of the chefs was assigned Eggs Florentine, which he had never heard of(it's Eggs Benedict with wilted spinach added or used as a substitute for the ham or bacon). He presented a sad little plate of wilted kale and a fried egg. He wasn't sent home for it, but he certainly didn't win either. Aaron asked me how I thought I'd fare as a Top Chef contestant and I replied that I'd probably panic and pee my pants; most of my recipes evolve over time as I make a dish over and over, gradually tweaking flavors and preparations. That being said, I've been obsessing over Eggs Florentine for a good week now.
This is quickly becoming my favorite lunch; I made a simple arugula salad with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then topped it with cubed ham and a poached egg. This is the kind of food I love to eat; clean, simple, and using just a few good-quality ingredients. When you're only working with 3-4 ingredients, quality is going to make or break the dish. Wilted greens, reconstituted meats, or flavorless eggs would all spell disaster for something like this.
It was amazing just the way I made it, but then I saw Jack's leftover peaches from breakfast sitting on the table. I added a chunk of peach to one bite and was instantly converted; it tasted like a crazy combination of Eggs Benedict and Hawaiian pizza. I once heard a chef describe the perfect dish as one that includes something salty, something sweet, something crunchy and something smooth. This salad is it. Salty ham, sweet peaches, smooth egg yolk and crunchy arugula, all brought to life and tied together with a gentle kick in the pants from the lemon juice. Aaron does not approve of me mixing fruit with savory dishes, but I loved it.
Eggs Florentine Salad with Peaches
A handful of baby arugula, washed and dried
1/3 cup cubed ham
1-2 eggs
1/2 ripe peach, cut into hunks
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Throw the arugula on a plate and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Slice a wedge off a lemon, remove the seeds(if any) and squeeze the lemon wedge over the arugula. Toss to coat.
Cube the ham. You can put it directly in the salad cold, but I really like heating it in a frying pan just until the edges brown a little. If heating the ham, set it aside until the eggs are done and plate them with the salad all together(too much heat too soon will wilt the greens too much).
Fill a small pot with water and heat it to a bare simmer. While you're waiting for the water to come up, cut the peach and add it to the arugula(please, for the love of food, do NOT use canned peaches). Crack eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and pour carefully(again one at a time) into the simmering water. Cook 3-5 minutes, until whites are set but yolks are still soft. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the eggs and gently poke them with your finger until desired firmness is reached. Immediately place on top of arugula.
This would also be delicious with bacon.
This is quickly becoming my favorite lunch; I made a simple arugula salad with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then topped it with cubed ham and a poached egg. This is the kind of food I love to eat; clean, simple, and using just a few good-quality ingredients. When you're only working with 3-4 ingredients, quality is going to make or break the dish. Wilted greens, reconstituted meats, or flavorless eggs would all spell disaster for something like this.
It was amazing just the way I made it, but then I saw Jack's leftover peaches from breakfast sitting on the table. I added a chunk of peach to one bite and was instantly converted; it tasted like a crazy combination of Eggs Benedict and Hawaiian pizza. I once heard a chef describe the perfect dish as one that includes something salty, something sweet, something crunchy and something smooth. This salad is it. Salty ham, sweet peaches, smooth egg yolk and crunchy arugula, all brought to life and tied together with a gentle kick in the pants from the lemon juice. Aaron does not approve of me mixing fruit with savory dishes, but I loved it.
Eggs Florentine Salad with Peaches
A handful of baby arugula, washed and dried
1/3 cup cubed ham
1-2 eggs
1/2 ripe peach, cut into hunks
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Throw the arugula on a plate and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Slice a wedge off a lemon, remove the seeds(if any) and squeeze the lemon wedge over the arugula. Toss to coat.
Cube the ham. You can put it directly in the salad cold, but I really like heating it in a frying pan just until the edges brown a little. If heating the ham, set it aside until the eggs are done and plate them with the salad all together(too much heat too soon will wilt the greens too much).
Fill a small pot with water and heat it to a bare simmer. While you're waiting for the water to come up, cut the peach and add it to the arugula(please, for the love of food, do NOT use canned peaches). Crack eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and pour carefully(again one at a time) into the simmering water. Cook 3-5 minutes, until whites are set but yolks are still soft. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the eggs and gently poke them with your finger until desired firmness is reached. Immediately place on top of arugula. This would also be delicious with bacon.
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