Recipe: Spring Herbed Poached Egg

I love poached eggs. There sometimes is nothing sweeter and more delicate that a perfectly poached egg.

A poached egg can make or break a restaurant for me. They really aren't hard to make but once you have started to over cook it there's no going back. There's no way to save it.

While this recipe (which I found in the LA Times) has the eggs eaten on top of watercress with heirloom tomatoes I could just eat them plain. 

Spring Herbed Poached Eggs:

Servings: 4

Nonstick cooking spray, optional
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced shallot
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt, pepper
4 cups watercress leaves
8 eggs
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 tablespoon minced chervil
8 baby small plum tomatoes

1. Spray the bottom of a large skillet with nonstick spray, or use a nonstick skillet. Fill the skillet 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the Dijon mustard, Sherry vinegar and lemon juice until blended. Stir in the shallot. Slowly whisk in the olive and canola oils until the dressing thickens and is emulsified. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Toss the watercress leaves with the dressing and divide among 4 plates.

3. Reduce the boiling water to a simmer. To poach the eggs, work with 2 at a time. Crack the first egg into a small bowl, then carefully pour into the water; repeat with the second egg. Cook until the whites of the eggs are set and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes, then remove them from the water with a slotted spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Place 2 eggs atop each plate of watercress. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper to taste, then the dill, chives and chervil. Garnish with the tomatoes.