Is it possible that the tiny man who is responsible

Is it possible that the tiny man who is responsible for pushing the clock hands is in a rush these days? Where did the last weeks go, are we really approaching Easter weekend yet? My oh my. Maybe writing a book puts you in some sort of zombie mode, there is so much to do, so many different aspects to take care off, life outside your kitchen simply ceases to exist, vanishing behind a thick curtain. This time around, no special Easter treats like I came up with last year or some years ago. Yet I don’t want to skip all the bunny and egg festivities, hoping my latest discovery qualifies for the Easter theme, too.

Someday last year I had spent my entire lunch break at a nearby bookstore, one that is well-known for its unusual assortment, and yes, they even carry a small shelf of rather extraordinary cookbooks. That’s where “La grande Fête – Das große Fest” fell into my hands, written by restaurant chef Alain Weissgerber and his partner Barbara Eselböck. A book loaded with atmosphere in which Alain Weissgerber presents his cuisine, a happy marriage between his Alsatian roots and Austrian influences. (His restaurant Blaue Gans has a pretty cool website, although a bit tricky to navigate.) One small detail in his book struck me the most – he had used an ingenious method to poach an egg (p.132). In case your Easter plans warrants a poached egg, why not try this for yourself?

　Bring a pot of water to a boil. Line a small bowl or ramekin with foil cling film and brush its inside with a few drops of sunflower oil. Carefully break a fresh egg – the yolk has to stay whole – and let it slide into the foil-lined cling film-lined bowl. Close the foil cling film above the egg, keeping a little air trapped inside, then close with a clip (the clip part is my addition to Weissgerber’s methode). Now lower the “egg-bag” into the simmering water and turn the egg every 30 seconds or so for an evenly cooked result. The trapped air helps to keep the egg’s surface relatively smooth. The book suggests to remove it after 2.5 minutes and dipping it into ice water to stop the cooking process. However, my large sized eggs took almost 4 minutes. They slipped out of the foil cling film like nothing else and – except for a few wrinkles – their even appearance made it unnecessary to cut off any excess egg white! Poached eggs – a piece of cake.