Don’t know what Sundays are like at your house, but at ours the morning is pretty leisurely, spent mostly at the kitchen table. Sunlight streams in the back windows, glancing off a pitcher of apricot-cupped Salome daffodils and Grace Tea’s Winey Keemun sends curls of steam from eye-popping blue and white mugs. It’s the weekend’s last refuge from reality.
Eggs, the culinary centerpiece of the morning, offer another kind of escape. Culled from free-running hens, they come scrambled in worldly flavors: with turmeric, coriander and cumin (India), or with serrano chile, cilantro and avocado (Mexico), or with nicoise olives, basil and sweet red pepper (Provence). Each recipe starts with a base of sautéed onions, garlic and tomatoes. From there, add spices and herbs of your choice.
To serve two:
Ingredients for Indian Style Eggs:
4 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 dried red pepper, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Method:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt, pepper, turmeric, coriander and cumin. Set aside.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is heated through, add the onion, tomato, garlic and dried red pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and sauté for another minute, or until most of the juices have evaporated and the onion-tomato mixtue is fairly dry.
3. Turn the heat to high. Whisk the eggs until frothy and pour into the pan. Scramble the eggs with a spatula, mixing and turning to be sure that they are completely cooked.
4. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.
Variations:
Ingredients for Mexican-style Eggs:
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 avocado, sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice.
Method:
1. Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and cilantro in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the skillet as directed above. Saute the onions, tomatoes, garlic and chile. Whisk the eggs again, add to the pan and scramble.
3. Serve immediately, garnished with sliced avocado.
Ingredients for Provencal Eggs:
4 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with 2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon nicoise olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
Method:
1. Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and chives in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the pan as directed above. Saute the onions, tomato, garlic, red pepper and nicoise olives for 3 minutes. Add the basil and sauté one minute more.
3. Whisk the eggs again, add to the pan and scramble. Serve immediately.