Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto from Danielle of The Trail of Crumbs
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning.
Danielle and her husband, Adrian, author a gastro travelogue describing their international culinary adventures as well as insights into their adopted city of Paris, France. These two know great food, it surrounds them on a daily basis. So I was overjoyed when Danielle sent me this simple recipe for a spectacular dish!
Danielle and Adrian’s blog, The Trail of Crumbs, covers a variety of international locales and the food to be discovered there. The luscious, original photos shot by Danielle (a professional photographer with work shown in several medias) will draw you in, and the stories will leave you ready to book a plane ticket. Together, this couple describes topics such as escaping to Mexico for the winter, growing kale from their Parisian window sill, the specialties of their neighborhood farmer’s market, a visit to an old-fashioned lamb farm in Germany, the perfect sandwich in Oakland, California and so much more. Diving into the world of food and travel (my two passions as well!) via the Trail of Crumbs is a daily pleasure for me.
About this breakfast Danielle says:
My ideal Sunday breakfast is poached eggs over cheesy polenta with a sloppy drizzle of herb goo (or Italian salsa verde), I like to say it’s pretty eggsolenta.
After making this simple preparation of egg, polenta, a smidgen of cheese, fresh herbs and olive oil, I am completely infatuated with this meal. It comes together so quickly, utilizes herbs from my budding garden (such a pleasure!), appears very fancy, hits the spot anytime of day, is inexpensive and just so delicious. The velvety richness of cheese-spiked creamy polenta marries perfectly with explosive bits of real fresh garden flavors and the egg, it melts beautifully into everything. I only wish I had met this breakfast earlier in my life. Danielle and Adrian, is Porltand, Oregon on your list of travel destinations anytime soon? I’d love to share this breakfast with you both, in my garden, with a strong cup of Rosebud tea.
Poached Eggs over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto
serves 4
for the pesto:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup green olives, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh Italian parsley or basil, coarsely chopped (I used basil)
1/2 cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
Mix olives and fresh herbs in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix until homogenous. Set aside.
for the polenta:
2 cups polenta
8 cups water (depending on how thick you like your polenta)
1/2 cup hard cheese, shredded (Parmesan or Grueyere are both great for this)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Heat water in a large pot, when boiling, slowly pour in polenta. Lower the temperature to simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until polenta has absorbed the water. Take pot off flame and stir in shredded cheese and salt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until plating.
for the poached eggs:
4 eggs
1 teaspoon lightly-colored vinegar (any type will do, just not balsamic as it will color the eggs)
salt
Crack eggs into a small bowl, set aside. Heat another medium-sized pot with water, adding a sprinkle of salt and teaspoon of vinegar to water. When water is at a boil, slip the four eggs into the water bath, swirling with a spoon to help eggs form into solid shapes. Cook for about four minutes for a slightly runny center. Here’s a great tutorial on The Kitchn, in case you need more help poaching the eggs.
to assemble the dish:
ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the polenta into a large bowl, add an egg to each bowl, garnish with the olive-herb pesto. Serve with extra olive oil and lots of salt and pepper.
• Visit Danielle and Adrian’s blog: The Trail of Crumbs
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross, image of Danielle by Simone Rubi)