A Mother's Day Recipe

Mother's Day Creamed Eggs on Toast Points

With Parsnip and Apple Rösti

By Bryan Chapman, Photo by Kim Chapman

Mother’s Day is this Sunday. If you are in need of an idea for ways to pamper your glorious mother, I ask that you consider the following recipe. I bring you creamed eggs, also known as eggs goldenrod. The recipe is actually quite simple, but I have added side dishes, to make your mother feel even more special. The first side, is a parsnip and apple rösti.

A rösti is rustic dish from Switzerland. Leftover potatoes from the previous night’s meal are grated and combined with onions, then fried until crisp. My version, offers parsnips and apples. Both ingredients, slightly sweet, are made savory with the addition of chives and a bubbling visit to the skillet.

The second side, is a simple mushroom treatment, lightly sautéed in butter and stuffed with luscious red bell pepper. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, even for someone with the simplest of cooking knowledge.

Serves: makes 4


Mother’s Day Creamed Eggs

Ingredients
· 8 hardboiled eggs
· 4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted, crusts removed, and cut into toast points
· 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
· 4 Tbsp flour
· 2 cups whole milk (see Milk Note)
· 1 oz Dubliner, or Gruyere cheese, grated (see Cheese Note)
· Scant grating of nutmeg

Milk Note: 2% or 1% milk may be used, but do so with a warning. These milks do not have their milk-solids held in suspension as well as whole milk and cream. Due to this, if it is too cold, and the pan too hot when added, it will “shock” the milk, causing the solids to sink to the bottom of the pan. When this happens, they will scorch, if not continually cared for.

Cheese Note: this recipe calls for Dubliner (or Gruyere) cheese. A creamier, easier-to-find cheese, such as cream cheese may be used, but it will change the recipe. Due to these cheeses not shedding their oils when melted, the roux will be more stiff. To compensate, a couple tablespoons more milk may need to be added.

Method
1. Peel the hardboiled eggs. Cut each egg in half, separating the yolks from the whites into separate bowls. With the tines of a fork, gently crumble the yolks into small chunks. Do the same with the whites, and then pass them through a ricer. If you do not have a ricer, continue smashing the whites until they are very small and smooth. Set yolks and whites aside for later use.

2. Over medium heat, make a roux by melting the butter, and adding the flour, stirring until smooth. Do not let the roux overcook; the longer it cooks, the darker it will become. For this recipe, you will want the roux to remain light and creamy in color.

3. Add the milk a bit at a time, stirring constantly, and allowing it to fully incorporate before adding more.

4. Once all of the milk has been added, continue stirring. The mixture will begin to thicken. As it does, slowly add the grated cheese. When it has completely melted, grate-in a scant amount of nutmeg, and add the egg whites. Stir again, blending the flavors and allowing the egg whites warm through. Remove from heat and plate-up the dish.


Parsnip and Apple Rösti

Ingredients
· 2 parsnips
· 1 apple (use a cooking apple, like Granny Smith)
· 1 egg
· 2 to 3 Tbsp chives (for best results, use fresh)
· 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
· Salt and white pepper to taste
· Olive oil for cooking
· 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt, crème fresh, or sour cream, for garnish

Method
1. Peel the parsnips and grate into a large bowl.

2. With a pair of kitchen shears, snip chives into ¼-inch lengths. Along with flour, salt and pepper, add and mix with parsnips.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, and add to the parsnips.

4. Peel, core and grate apple into the bowl containing parsnips and seasonings. Stir until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

5. In a skillet, over medium heat, add several tablespoons of olive oil. Divide rösti mixture into fourths, each being about a heavy half-cup portion. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully turn rösti, and again cook until golden brown.


Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
· 4 white button mushrooms
· 5 Tbsp diced red bell pepper
· 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
· Salt to taste

Method
1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. With a dry cloth, wipe away any bits of growing medium, and then peel the mushrooms.

2. In a small, 6-inch skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, stem-side up. Sauté slowly, until they get a bit of color, then turn mushrooms over, and do the same on the stem side. Do not salt the mushrooms. Salt draws out the moisture, and the mushrooms will not sauté properly.

3. Remove from skillet and place on a plate, stem-side down to drain any accumulating moisture.

4. To the skillet, add 1 Tbsp butter. When melted, add diced peppers and sauté lightly. Add salt to taste, remove from skillet, and reserve.

5. When cool enough to handle, turn mushrooms stem-side up. With a spoon, carefully fill mushroom caps with the sautéed peppers, dividing the portions equally.

Plating

1. Arrange the toast points from one slice of toast, and one rösti, onto each plate. Ladle one fourth of the creamed eggs onto the toast. Garnish with the crumbled egg yolks.

2. Spoon 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt onto each rösti. Onto this, place a stuffed mushroom.