Prosciutto egg baskets

I don't remember what site I got this idea from but it came up in conversation as a brunch idea so I wanted to make a test run.

I don't have muffin tins so I just made some cups out of tin foil. I layered two slices of prosciutto in the tins, cracked an egg in, seasoned with pepper and parsley, added a slice of provolone, folded the ends of the prosciutto over, and baked in the toaster oven on 350 for about 18 minutes. If you like your eggs a little runny reduce the cooking time.

The thing about prosciutto is that it's already dried/cured and the flavor is highly concentrated. When you cook it it becomes even more concentrated and salty. Although tempting to season the eggs with salt, don't.

In doing some research I found variations that called for a piece of bread under the egg as well as a version that added spinach and cheddar cheese. The prosciutto was pretty overpowering after cooking and both of these variations might help to balance the dish out.

coffee: because there's no reason to be miserable every day until you die.

Pizza- Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola, Burrata and Proscuitto

I went to a Wegman's supermarket for the first time on Sunday. People have been telling me how great they are and I always ask them "So is it like Whole Foods?" I guess that's my yard stick for measuring supermarkets. I'd describe it more like the Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop of supermarkets. The place was enormous. The olive bar must have been 20' long. They even had a refrigerated case with just whole ducks. I made my way to la fromagerie and the cheese girl helped me pick out a gorgonzola dolce and pointed me to the burrata.

I've wanted to try burrata for some time, but due it's short shelf life most stores don't keep it in stock. (point wegman's) Burrata (which means buttered in Italian) is basically a ball of fresh mozzarella filled with mozzarella and cream. The inside has the consistency of a liquidy cottage cheese and it's delicious with a little olive drizzled on top and fresh pepper.

Anyway, I made some pizzas. I got the idea for the caramelized onion and gorgonzola from a recipe in a summer issue of Gourmet magazine. The recipe called for fresh parsley and walnuts? neither of which I had. no big loss.

The recipe was also a lesson on how to make pizza on a grill, but I just made it in the oven on a pizza stone. You can search previous posts for general pizza making posts. The only thing of note is that I brush the dough with olive oil and pre-bake the naked dough before topping it. That way the dough cooks through without burning the toppings.

So cook some onions over medium heat with a little oil in a covered pan for 15-20 minutes until sweet and golden. Spread some crumbled gorgonzola and the cooked onions over the half-baked pizza and finish it off back in the oven.

I improvised on the second pizza. I had no normal mozzarella so I used some of the burrata (which is probably some kind of sacrelige for all I know) and topped with a few slices of proscuitto (after baking).

Tortilla Española

Tortilla Española is kind of like a potato omelet except it's more about the potatoes than the eggs, and kind of like a fritata except it's flipped in the pan instead of finished off in the oven. Doesn't matter what you call it, it still tastes great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Start off by sauteing thinly sliced potatoes in some olive oil, just until they're cooked and softened, then set them aside. Then saute half an onion and same garlic until they're softened and translucent, but not browned. Combine the potatoes, onion and garlic with some beaten eggs. Make sure to mix up the potato slices so that any that are stuck together get egg in between.

Turn the heat up on the pan to med/high, pour the egg/potato mixture in and lower the heat to medium/low and cook until the edges firm up. Here comes the fun part-the flip. Place a plate on top of the pan and flip the half-cooked tortilla onto the plate, put the pan back on the burner and slide the tortilla back into the pan. Cook until it's done and serve in wedges.