The Spinach
Wintered spinach tends to be sandy so wash it in several changes of water. Lightly wilt it in a covered pan with the water that clings to the leaves after washing. Season with salt, pepper, and a fruity olive oil.
The Eggs
Very fresh eggs are almost impossible to peel when they are hard-boiled. I learned the preparation secret at the farmer’s market: don’t boil your eggs––steam them. When steamed, even fresh eggs’ shells will peel away easily. For the pullet eggs, 10 minutes in the steam produces a perfectly hard-boiled egg. However, I think this dish works best when the whites are completely cooked but the yolks are still creamy. For this, I steam them for 6.5 minutes. Immediately run the steamed eggs under cold water until they are at room temperature and cool to the touch.
Combine the eggs and spinach, sprinkle with radishes and garnish the eggs with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve with grilled bread and a cruet of good olive oil. This dish is also tasty garnished with lardons of crispy bacon and with a little of the rendered fat used to dress the spinach.
ooo I love this egg tip! will definitely try. and really enjoyed the Donabe piece. perhaps one of these visits, I can see your pots? The history and the story are inspiring. Japan played a big role in my childhood, I love getting your insight into their cooking!
Ahh, steam don’t boil! This eliminates the hopeless struggle of removing shells from fresh eggs. Thank you! This dish looks so satisfying. Yumm…
Hello-
This comment is long over-due…
I thought I knew all that there was in preparing eggs. I had read your suggestion regarding steaming eggs in order to create a nice soft-boiled egg. I simply assumed that there really wasn’t any difference between steaming or boiling eggs. I was mistaken! Steaming the eggs really does do something to them which creates wonderfully creamy yolks [6.5 minutes, just like you wrote!] with relatively solid whites.
Thank you for the delicious tip! You have forever changed the way I make my eggs- no more boiling them again. Ever.
Wonderful magazine by the way…
Thank you so much for your feedback and kind words about the Gazette. Cheers, Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Just tried this recipe last night. The spinach is so creamy! Now it is one of my best way to cook spinach!
So glad the recipe worked out well for you! Cheers, Lisa