Oeufs Au Beurre Noir Eggs With Black Butter Recipes

OEUFS COCOTTE (BAKED EGGS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Boil water in a kettle.
• Grease a small lidded casserole dish with olive oil. Distribute diced ham over the bottom and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Gruyere cheese. Pour cream on top and season with a little pepper.
• Crack eggs into the casserole dish one at a time, making sure egg yolks remain intact. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Gruyere cheese and fresh chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish and place into a roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water so it reaches about halfway up the casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes with the lid on. Uncover and continue baking until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 6 additional minutes.

OEUFS AU BEURRE NOIR - EGGS WITH BLACK BUTTER

Steps:

• Poach the eggs in water to which a little vinegar has been added.
• Remove while still soft and place in a dish in warm oven.
• Boil the wine vinegar until it is 1/2 of its original quantity; pour over eggs.
• Simmer butter a few minutes in the pan; add parsley and salt and cook until both butter and parsley are browned.
• Pour over eggs and serve at once.

SKATE AU BEURRE NOIR

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Slice off a little from each end of the potato. Cut potato in sixths lengthwise. Cut the wedges into elongated seven-sided ovals; hold potato wedge steady with fingertips and, with a small paring knife, trim all sharp edges. Work from top to bottom of piece in a quick curving movement, turning the piece slightly between each cut. The finished pieces should be of uniform size and shape. Add potatoes to boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Bring stock to a boil in a medium saute pan. Reduce to a simmer. Season both sides of skate with salt and pepper. Place in pan; cover and cook 2 minutes. Turn fish. Cover once again, and cook until opaque, about 2 minutes more. With a fish spatula, transfer skate to two plates. Place three pieces of potato on each plate.
• While fish is cooking, melt butter in a separate medium saute pan over high heat. Cook until butter starts to turn golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, swirling pan. This swirling motion combined with the remaining heat in the pan will bring the butter to its desired, almost-black color. Add lemon juice, capers, parsley, and a pinch salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over skate. Serve.

JERSEY BLACK BUTTER (LE NIERE BEURRE), AKA APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Take 4 pounds of full ripe apples, and peel and core them. Meanwhile put into a pan 2 pints of sweet cider, and boil until it reduces by half. Put the apples, chopped small, to the cider. Cook slowly stirring frequently, until the fruit is tender, as you can crush beneath the back of a spoon. Then work the apple through a sieve, and return to the pan adding 1lb beaten (granulated) sugar and spices as following, 1 teaspoon clove well ground, 2 teaspoons cinnamon well ground, 1 saltspoon allspice well ground. Cook over low fire for about ¾ hour, stirring until mixture thickens and turns a rich brown. Pour the butter into into small clean jars, and cover with clarified butter when cold. Seal and keep for three months before using. By this time the butter will have turned almost black, and have a most delicious flavour.
• I cannot guess at the amount of time to make, 1-2 days is the traditional time spent.
• From Jane Austen's Christmas.
• Maria Hubert von Staufer March 1995.

RAIE AU BEURRE NOIR (SKATE WITH BLACK BUTTER SAUCE)

Steps:

• Arrange fish pieces in one layer, slightly overlapping, in a skillet or casserole. Add water to cover, the white vinegar, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme.
• Bring to a boil and let simmer over low heat about 2 minutes or less. Turn off heat and let stand until ready to serve. Do not let stand for more than a very few minutes. Transfer fish pieces to a layer of paper towels. Then transfer drained pieces of fish to a heated serving dish.
• To make sauce, heat a heavy skillet, preferably of black iron, almost to smoking. Add butter; when it melts and starts to darken, add capers. Cook, shaking skillet and stirring, about 1 minute, or until butter starts to blacken. Add red-wine vinegar and parsley, swirling it around, and pour sauce over fish.