Arpège Egg

Whenever I have friends over for dinner, I always like to make an amuse-bouche to start the meal. My current interests lie with the different egg recipes that French chefs make. Recently, I try my hand at making Alain Passard's famous Chaud-froid d’oeuf au sirop d’érable et vinaigre de xérès. I have never been to Passard's three-Michelin star restaurant L'Arpège in Paris. My wife, Maria, and I only walked past it once on our way to Le musée Rodin. Since I don't know when I will ever make it to L'Arpège, the only way to experience the dish is to make it myself.

The recipe for Passard's egg dish is widely available. There is even a video of Passard demonstrating the recipe on Youtube. I use the recipe in The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells. First, whip some heavy cream in a bowl to soft peaks and season with some sherry vinegar and salt. Then, cut off the top of the egg and pour out the egg white. Float the egg, like a little boat, in simmering water for around 3 minutes.

Take the egg out and set it in an egg cup. Sprinkle some chives or other herbs on the egg yolk, season with salt and pepper, and spoon over some cold whipped cream. Finally drizzle a little maple syrup on top and serve.

I really enjoyed this amuse-bouche with the contrasting temperatures and flavors. I agree with Patricia Wells that it is a dish that I probably will make over and over again.