Basque Eggs With Crostini Recipes

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

BASQUE EGGS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick saucepan (or skillet with reasonably high sides), saute diced sausage over medium flame till nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
• Add onion and garlic and stir till well mixed. Cook till onion is soft and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook a minute or two, till slightly soft. Add diced tomatoes, thyme, red pepper, and salt (if using), cover, and cook 4 minutes, till juicy.
• If using beaten eggs, stir gently throghout veggie mixture; cover. Cook 4 minutes, till set. (This produces more of a fritatta feel--good for folks who don't like runny egg yolks).
• If using whole eggs, crack each egg and gently slide it into the veggie stew, trying to keep the eggs from touching each other (it may help to make a well for each egg with the back of a spoon). Cover and cook 3 minutes, till whites are set. Ladle each egg and some veggies into a serving bowl. Serve with crusty warm bread.

MINI BACON AND EGG CROSTINI

Steps:

• Slice the eggs crosswise into thin slices, reserving the top and the bottom for another use.
• In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise and the Sriracha. Set aside.
• To assemble, lay out the toast and spread the spicy mayonnaise on each piece. Lay a piece of lettuce on the spicy mayonnaise. Top the lettuce with two overlapping slices of egg and a piece of bacon to finish. Serve immediately.

BASQUE EGGS MY WAY

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic, chile peppers, green peppers and red peppers. Cook until tender. Finally, add the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the juices have evaporated and everything is soft and melded.
• Crack the eggs into the pan, spaced evenly apart. Sprinkled with more salt and black pepper. Cover and cook until just done, with the yolks still nice and runny. Meanwhile, make four "nests" of ham on serving plates. When the eggs are done, lift them along with their peppery garnishes with a spatula into the nests. Serve very hot with toasted baguette.

EGG SALAD CROSTINI

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except toast slices.
• Spread onto toast slices.

RICK'S BASIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle the salt over it. Keep chopping and smashing the garlic and salt together to make a paste. Use a wide-bladed knife so you can smear the paste along its flat side. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• 2. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lemon juice, and garlic paste. Fold the softened butter over and onto the garlic mixture, mashing it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Season to taste with pepper and continue folding.
• 3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Scrape the butter onto the plastic and use the plastic wrap to shape butter into a log, encased in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. If not using within 3 days, you can freeze the garlic butter for up to 2 months. Let the butter soften before using.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 5. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and brush both sides with garlic butter. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown but not too crispy. Let cool before using.
• Good Butter
• The difference between really good butter and all other butter lies with the butterfat content of the cream, which depends in large part on the cows and how the cream is handled before it is churned into butter. The best butter from Europe is made from raw or cultured cream and, particularly that made from raw cream, might not be imported to the United States. But never fear: At American companies such as the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, the butter is made from high-grade cream (a high butterfat content) that is cultured and then churned. The butter is rich and flavorful and when it's salted, its salt content is significantly lower than typical salted butter. This is what I use in my crostini recipes, so depending on the salted butter you choose, you may not need to add any salt. As with all ingredients for these recipes, choose the best butter you can. It pays off in terms of taste.

BASQUE EGGS WITH CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush baguette slices with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place slices on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil to a saute pan and place over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until peppers are soft, 5 to 7 minutes more. Add tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover the pan and cook until all vegetables are softened and have released juices, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until most of the juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bake baguette slices in the preheated oven and cook for about 8 minutes. Turn slices over and continue baking until toasted, about 7 minutes more. Remove from oven and set crostini aside.
• Return to the saute pan with the vegetables. Use a wide spoon to make 4 deep wells evenly spaced throughout the mixture in the pan. Crack 1 egg into each well and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, 3 to 8 minutes.
• Arrange 2 prosciutto slices in a loose, 5-inch circle on an individual serving plate to create a "nest" for the tomato-egg mixture. Use a large slotted spoon to scoop out 1 egg with surrounding tomato mixture and place it in the nest on the plate. Repeat with remaining prosciutto, eggs, and tomato mixture. Add a few crostini on the side of each plate and serve.