Recipe: Poached Eggs on Pumpernickel Scones with Turmeric-Lime Aioli

On my Saturday visits to the Portland Farmers' Market, I've been lucky enough to purchase the fresh chicken eggs from Straws Farm. I'm a committed 7:00 am patron at the Dandelion Spring stand, where a limited number of cartons of the eggs are available by request. I get the jumbo, because I'm not a one-egg gal, nor am I a two-egg gal. I'm a one-and-a-half egg gal, and these guys fit the bill.

For this dish, I poach the eggs until they're pillowy and plump, with the brimming promise of a golden jammy yolk. Freshly grated turmeric and summery lime juice in a satiny aioli balance out the buttery foundation of a cocoa-imbued savory scone. Serve them with heaps of freshly chopped chives and dill, and black-as-ink coffee for a meal that will fuel your weekend plans, right on into the mid-week holiday.

Have questions about this recipe? A suggestion? Shoot me an email. You can reach me at kate@blackdinahchocolatiers.com. 

Have a great weekend! -Kate

Poached Eggs and Pumpernickel Scones with Turmeric-Lime Aioli

Serves 4

Ingredients:

for the scones

• 1 yolk from a jumbo egg (or two from 2 large eggs)
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
• 1-1/4 cups pumpernickel or dark rye flour (I used King Arthur pumpernickel flour)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter

for the aioli

• 1 jumbo egg yolk, very fresh
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

to finish the dish

• 4 jumbo eggs
• a handful of fresh dill, chopped
• a handful of fresh chives, chopped

Method:

Heat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, place the yolk and the buttermilk. Stir in the honey. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and pepper. 

With a wand hand grater, grate the cold butter directly into the dry ingredients, and mix in with your hands, rubbing gently.

Pour on the buttermilk/egg mixture and mix quickly with a large rubber spatula.  Add more buttermilk if needed, stirring briskly, with few strokes after any addition.  You should have a craggy dough.

Turn onto board and, using a bench scraper, quickly bring the dough together.  Flatten the dough into disc and cut into 8 triangles with a very sharp knife.  Place on two parchment lined cookie sheets, four to a sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Rotate the sheets once during baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

While the scones are baking make the aioli. 

Place the egg yolk, lime juice, garlic, turmeric, and salt in a wide mixing bowl. Whisk by hand (or with an electric whisk. I have a whisk attachment for my immersion blender, and it’s awesome) until the yolk is light in color. 

While whisking, add the olive oil, drop by drop at first. As the emulsion strengthens, you may add the olive oil in a thin stream until the mixture is smooth and thickened, like hollandaise sauce. You may not use all the olive oil, and that’s fine. If your sauce becomes too thick (like mayonnaise), you can whisk in a little water to thin it out, or just use it as is. 

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning to your liking. 

To finish the dish, bring a large sauce pan (or a deep, wide skillet) of water to a boil. Crack one egg into a tea cup. When the water is at a full boil, turn the heat down to medium, give the water in the pan a slow stir to get it moving, and then gently lay the egg from the tea cup into the water. Keeping the water moving slowly, and at a steady simmer, repeat this step with the remaining 3 eggs. Cook the eggs for 3-5 minutes (depending on size and your gooey-ness preference), and then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 

Split a scone (as you would a biscuit) and place it—nooks and crannies side up—on a plate.  Place one egg on top of the scone, top with sauce and sprinkle with dill and chives. Serve immediately, with a cup of fabulous coffee.