May 2010 – Page 2 – First Look, Then Cook

Breakfast for dinner – I love it. In fact – I make it a point to serve breakfast for dinner one night each week. My kids just love it. Most of the time I serve egg sandwiches – occasionally I make pancakes – and every once in a while I find a recipe that I want to make that takes us in a completely different direction.

Last month in Bon Appetit I saw this recipe and all I could think about was spring. Fava beans and leeks just remind me of spring – one of the most memorable dishes I remember eating before my older daughter was born (and she was born at the end of may) was a risotto with fava beans. The funny thing is, I saw my neighbor who helps out at the local farmers market and asked him if there were a lot of fava beans at the market – and he said it was too early! He did have some extra leeks for me – but I had to head to the regular market to find the fava beans. So maybe in the Pacific NW, fava beans are more late spring.

This dish was delicious – although I would have much preferred fresh from the farmer’s market fava beans. The crunchy breadcrumbs on top were a great combination with the eggs – and 4 of us almost completely devoured this. It is not too often that I eat 3 eggs for dinner, but when it is so good, you can’t stop.

Ingredients

Crispy breadcrumbs:

1 1/2 cups coarsely torn French bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fine sea salt

Eggs:

1 cup peeled fresh fava beans or frozen (double-peeled)
12 large eggs (preferably organic)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 2 large)
Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

For crispy breadcrumbs:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bread in medium bowl. Drizzle oil over, tossing to coat. Scatter bread pieces on small rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake until bread is golden brown, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm 3 minutes in 350°F oven before using.

For eggs:
Cook fava beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes. Drain. Whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in large bowl to blend.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add leeks. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Mix in fava beans. Increase heat to medium-high. Add egg mixture. Stir with heatproof spatula until eggs are almost set but still creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with pepper.

Transfer egg mixture to platter. Sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs. Grate Parmesan cheese over and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Scrambled Eggs with Leeks

Preparation

Place milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan (do not boil). Place egg yolks in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add half of hot milk to yolks, stirring constantly. Return yolk mixture to pan.

Combine sugar, cream, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar melts. Cook 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat; stir in sea salt. Gradually add caramel mixture to yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return pan to low heat; cook until a thermometer registers 160°. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl until completely cooled, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop about 1/2 cup ice cream into each of 10 dishes; sprinkle evenly with flake salt (optional).