In the not-so-distant past, eggs were given a bad reputation due to their high cholesterol content. More recently, however, nutritional science has determined that the type of cholesterol is also important, and though eggs contain some LDL (bad) cholesterol, they contain HDL (good cholesterol), which is linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Eggs are also packed with important nutrients like choline, vitamin D, B vitamins, zinc, and vitamin K, as well as lutein, which is important for ocular health, and lots of protein.
This week’s recipe for jammy eggs with paprika aioli was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The egg can be your best friend if you just give it the right break.”
Julia Child
Jammy Eggs with Paprika Aioli
Jammy Eggs with Paprika Aioli
Bon Appétit (March 2018)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, room temperature (you can use eggs directly from the refrigerator, but the edges of the yolk may overcook by the time the egg whites cook)
- 2 jarred pepperoncini in brine (pepperoncini, also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers, or golden Greek peppers, are sweet, mild chili peppers usually sold pickled. Cornichon, dilly beans, or other pickled vegetables can be substituted)
- 4 sprigs parsley
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon smoked or hot paprika
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Using a spider or slotted spoon, carefully lower 4 eggs into the boiling water. Set timer for 8 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. When timer goes off, remove eggs from boiling water with the spider or slotted spoon and transfer to ice bath. Let cool 5 minutes. (Note: Alternatively, place eggs in a saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and remove from heat; let stand for 6½ minutes. Immediately drain the eggs and transfer them to ice bath. Remove when eggs are cool enough to handle.)
- To prepare pepperoncini salsa, drain 2 pepperoncini, remove stems, and finely chop. Transfer to a small bowl. Pick leaves from 4 parsley sprigs, finely chop (discard stems), and mix with pepperoncini. To prepare aioli, mix ¼ cup mayonnaise and ½ tsp. paprika in another small bowl.
- Peel eggs and slice in half lengthwise. (Note: Eggs should have tender whites and custardy spreadable yolks [firmer than in a poached egg, which has a runny yolk, and looser than in a hard-boiled egg]. There may be some trial and error to determine the optimal cooking time for the desired yolk consistency, since it can be affected by egg size, temperature, and the number being cooked at once.) Sprinkle yolks with salt, then top with paprika aioli and pepperoncini salsa.
Notes
You may have eaten jammy eggs in ramen, although for that use they are usually marinated in soy sauce and mirin after peeling.
After cooking, eggs can be stored peeled or unpeeled in the refrigerator without a loss of the jammy consistency of the yolks. They can be eaten out of hand, added to salads or bowls, used for egg salad sandwiches, mixed into rice, porridge, or noodles, or chopped up to garnish asparagus or avocado on toast.