Sometimes when I sit down to write up a blog post, I am at a complete loss for words. There are no creative, inspiring, thought-provoking, interesting, or semi-funny thoughts running through my head. At least not ones I should be sharing publicly. Then there are times when it feels like I am on that merry-go-round of writing my dissertation all over again. I write, rewrite, delate, rewrite, edit, delete again, rewrite, and edit until it feels as painful as crawling on glass (yes, that six chapter 192 page dissertation ultimately got finished and all the scars have healed), And then I have moments when I think 'why can't the blog post be just like a picture book?'. Let the photos tell the story in the spirit of 'a picture tells a thousand words'. Today is one of those of days when the picture book option seems like a really good idea.
But these Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce, aka perfect like bites of deliciousness, are well deserving of some accolades!
Earlier in the week I was swooning over like-the-plate delicious Jammy Egg Toast I had made. I became jammy egg obsessed. Pretty sure this is the only way I want to eat my eggs from now on.
So what exactly is a jammy egg? It has been described as an egg having a yolk center neither runny nor completely set. Food guru Alison Roman described the texture of a jammy eggs as one "literally like when you open a jar of jam or marmalade, kind of sticky, definitely a spoonable texture". I am simply going with describing them as out of this world egg yumminess.
While savoring my Jammy Egg Toast, I had one of those 'ah-ha' creative moments. I became giddy at the idea of making Jammy Egg Crostini drizzled with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Little bites of deliciousness made or presented in an almost endless number of ways.
As delirious as I was over the taste of a jammy egg, I was flipping out over the taste of the Lemon Mustard Sauce. Made with mayonnaise, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, two kinds of dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper, this sauce is creamy and insanely flavorful. I used both a regular dijon mustard and a grainy dijon mustard, but could have easily used one or the other. Leaning toward using the grainy dijon mustard. With the sauce having a drizzling, pourable texture, you can put on as little or as much as you want on your jammy egg crostini.
If you have never intentionally made a jammy egg before, you might be wondering how to get that perfect jammy texture. Some will tell you to cook them for 6 1/2 minutes in boiling water, others will tell you 7 minutes in boiling water. Some will tell you to put room temperature eggs into the boiling water, others will tell you to use eggs straight from the refrigerator. After making them several times this week, I will tell you to boil your straight out of the refrigerator eggs for 7 minutes exactly. Submerge your eggs into a pot of boiling water and cover with a tight sealing lid. After seven minutes remove your pot from the stove, drain the water, and put the eggs in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. After several minutes the eggs should be cool enough to peel.
Give yourself a moment to stare at the jammy egg yolk before you start making the crostini. Who knew a jammy egg yolk could be so beautiful?
You could easily make a platter with jammy egg quarters, a bowl of the Lemon Mustard Sauce, a myriad of toppings (or underings), and some grilled crostini. Or you can make a platter of finished crostinis.
There are an almost endless number of jammy egg crostini options. I made the following versions: Smoked Salmon Jammy Egg Crostini, Sliced Avocado Jammy Egg Crostini, Basil Pesto Jammy Egg Crostini, Egg Salad Jammy Egg Crostini, and Sliced Shallot (or red onion) Jammy Egg Crostini. The Egg Salad version was the only one where I tossed the jammy egg quarters in the Lemon Mustard Sauce rather than drizzling it over the crostini. Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and basil) added both color and flavor to the crostini. Serve your crostini with somewhat warm (my personal preference), room temperature, or chilled jammy eggs.
Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce is a great breakfast or brunch, lunch, dinner or snack option. These are so good I could probably eat them at least twice during the day. Your friends and family will devour them. So make enough for everyone to have at least two or three crostini! So now here you go, finally, the recipe for the Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce. And I am thinking a picture only blog post might not be such be a bad idea!
Jammy Egg Crostini with Lemon Mustard Sauce
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
8-10 large eggs
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (See Notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons grainy or old style mustard (See Notes)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Zest from half of a lemon
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from one large lemon)
1 small baguette, sliced, and grilled
Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, basil, and/or sage)
Avocado, sliced thinly
Smoked salmon or lox, thinly sliced
Basil Pesto
Red Onion or shallot, sliced very thinly
Additional kosher salt and black pepper for finishing
Directions
1. Bring a medium sized pot filled with water to a boil. Note: When adding the eggs to the pot, they should be covered with an inch of water.
2. Add eggs and tightly cover pan. Cook for 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and drain water. Place eggs in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process as well as to make them easier to peel. Let eggs rest for 5 minutes.
3. While eggs are resting, make the Lemon Mustard Sauce. In a medium sized bowl combine the mayonnaise, two kinds of mustards, kosher salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust season if needed. Note: The sauce should have a pourable consistency.
4. Peel eggs and cut into quarters.
5. Depending on the size of the crostini, you will need 2 to 3 quarters for each one.
6. For the Smoked Salmon Crostini, place a cover of thin slices of smoked salmon on top of the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh thyme leaves.
7. For the Basil Pesto Crostini, spread some basil pesto on the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh basil leaves or basil chiffonade.
8. For the Avocado Crostini. place a cover of thin slices of the avocado on top of the crostini. Top with 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley. Note: Instead of avocado slices, could mash an avocado half with some freshly squeezed lemon juice.
8. For the Shallot (or Red Onion) Crostini, place 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters on the crostini. Drizzle with Lemon Mustard Sauce. Top with thinly cut slices of shallots or finely chopped red onion. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley or thyme leaves.
9. For Jammy Egg Salad Crostini, mix 2 or 3 jammy egg quarters with 1 - 2 Tablespoons of the Lemon Mustard Sauce. Top the crostini with the mixture. Lightly sprinkle additional kosher salt and black pepper on top. Top with fresh parsley or thyme leaves.
Notes: (1) I used a combination of two different Maille dijon mustards. You can use one or other or both as I did. (2) If you have any leftover Lemon Mustard Sauce, cover and store in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to a week. Whisk again before using. (3) Instead of making crostini, you can make Jammy Egg Toast. (See below)
