Oeufs en Gelée à l'Estragon

A jewel of the classic French charcuterie: a softly poached egg set in a clear, tarragon-scented aspic over a leaf of tarragon and a sliver of ham, turned out to quiver on the plate as a cold summer hors d'oeuvre

Origin: France

From the journey of Tarragon.

Oeufs en gelée are one of the small, exact pleasures of the old French kitchen, a fixture of the charcutier's cold case and the summer lunch table: a soft-poached egg, its yolk still liquid, suspended in a dome of crystal-clear aspic, with a single perfect leaf of tarragon and a sliver of ham set against the glass-like jelly. The dish is a study in restraint and precision, and tarragon is its signature flavour and its decoration both. The aspic, made from a good clear consommé set with gelatine and lifted with a little dry white wine or madeira, is gently scented with tarragon; a whole tarragon leaf, blanched to keep it green, is laid in the bottom of each mould as the first thin layer sets, so that when the egg is turned out the leaf shows through the jelly like a pressed flower under glass. The pleasure is in the contrast: the cool, trembling, faintly herbal jelly, the soft white, and the sudden richness of the warm-hearted yolk breaking against it. A dish of the belle époque and the classic bistro, oeufs en gelée have the quiet, slightly old-fashioned elegance that the French do better than anyone.

Ingredients

The Eggs

  • 4 very fresh eggs, for poaching

The Aspic

  • 500 ml clear, well-flavoured chicken or beef consommé
  • 5 leaves gelatine (about 8g), softened in cold water
  • 2 tbsp dry white wine or madeira
  • 1 small bunch fresh tarragon (some leaves whole, some chopped)
  • salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

To Assemble

  • 2 slices good cooked ham, cut into neat strips

Method

  1. Poach the eggs softly in barely simmering, lightly vinegared water for about 3 minutes, so the white is just set and the yolk still liquid. Lift into iced water, then trim the ragged edges with scissors so each is a neat oval. Drain on a cloth and chill.
  2. Warm the consommé gently, season, and stir in the wine. Squeeze out the softened gelatine and dissolve it fully in the hot (not boiling) consommé. Add a few tarragon stalks to infuse for ten minutes, then strain. Cool to room temperature, until syrupy but not set.
  3. Blanch a few whole tarragon leaves for a second in boiling water to fix their colour. Pour a thin layer of aspic into the base of four small ramekins or dariole moulds and chill until just set. Lay a tarragon leaf, good side down, and a few strips of ham on the set jelly.
  4. Set a trimmed poached egg, neatest side down, on top. Scatter a little chopped tarragon and more ham around it, then fill the moulds with the remaining syrupy aspic to cover the egg completely. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours, until firmly set.
  5. To serve, dip each mould briefly in hot water and turn out onto a chilled plate, so the tarragon leaf shows on top. Serve cold, as a starter, with a few salad leaves and good bread.

Notes

The success of the dish rests on a genuinely clear, well-flavoured consommé and on cooling the aspic to the right syrupy point before assembling. A clarified homemade stock is ideal; a good shop-bought consommé or a jellied stock works. The ham can be replaced with a little smoked salmon, or omitted for a vegetarian version. Use French tarragon for its clean anise flavour and keep the seasoning gentle, as cold dulls it; taste the aspic when liquid and season a touch more boldly than seems necessary.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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