Poultry , Sides & Appetizers

The Perfect EggWith Sous-Vide Béarnaise Sauce and Seared Polenta Cake

Intermediate

The sous vide method transforms a weekend brunch basic into something utterly beyond in this winning combination of poached eggs, rich béarnaise, and crisp polenta.

Ingredients

Poached Egg

4 large eggs
Tarragon or microgreens, to garnish (optional)

Sous-Vide Béarnaise

1 C white wine
Dash of Tabasco sauce
3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp shallots, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
6 black peppercorns, crushed
6 egg yolks
1 C unsalted butter, melted
½ Tbsp lemon juice
5 Tbsp chickpea water
2 tsp salt

Polenta Cake

1 ¼ C dried grits
4 ¹⁄3 C water
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced, plus 1 additional Tbsp for searing
¼ C Parmesan, grated
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Overview

Equipment

Sous vide circulator
Sous vide pouches
Vacuum sealer
Hand blender or whisk
Mixing bowl
Baking sheet
Biscuit cutter

Timing

Prepping time: 20 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes (excludes sous vide cooking)

Servings

4 servings

Directions

For the Perfect Egg:

Cook eggs in water bath at 145.7°F (63.2°C) for 50 minutes, then immediately serve or chill in ice water and reserve in refrigerator. To reheat chilled eggs, place in 132.8°F (56°C) water for 15 minutes.

For the Béarnaise:

Reduce the white wine, vinegar, shallots, thyme, and peppercorns over high heat for seven to 10 minutes, then strain and set aside the reduced liquid.
In a mixing bowl, use a hand blender to whip the egg yolks until slightly frothy. Incorporate the wine-vinegar reduction and chickpea water and blend.
While blending, add the melted butter, lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce. Season to taste. Blend for another five minutes, then transfer mixture into a sous vide pouch, seal, and cook at 143.6°F (62°C) for 30 minutes.

For the Polenta Cake:

Mix together the grits, water, 8 tablespoons of butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly until well combined. Place mixture into a sous-vide pouch, seal, and cook at 185°F (85°C) for two hours.
Once done, pour evenly onto a sheet tray lined with lightly greased parchment paper and cool in the refrigerator for three hours (or overnight, if lightly covered).
Once cooled, use a biscuit cutter to cut out three-inch circles. Sear in a nonstick pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter, three minutes per side or until golden brown.

To Serve:

Place the seared polenta cake on a plate and top with a sous vide poached egg. Pour the béarnaise sauce over top and finish with chopped tarragon or microgreens, if desired.