Such was my mood then upon reading the latest issue of the magazine that is quickly overtaking Rachel Ray as WANFs bête noire. You see, the January edition of Bon Appetit focuses on what is calls “the new trend” of everything a cheval, or mounted by an egg, as it were, and quite apart from having spent a good part of our 2007-2008 oeuvre (pun intended) posting recipes and photos of various foods dressed in this way, we, quite pathetically perhaps, like to think of ourselves as in the comparative culinary vanguard and hate to be thought of as simply following a BA trend. So, before we go on, I would like to state, in no uncertain terms, that we not only made the subject of this post dish in October (towards the end of our self-indulgent egg sluttishness), but that our posting this now is influenced in no way by the food magazine zeitgeist.

With that off my chest, allow me to introduce to you one of the most wonderful ways of cooking eggs – uova in ragú, or eggs in a Bolognese sauce. Not to be confused with the well-known Tex-Mex breakfast staple of eggs in hell, this is essentially a Bolognese sauce version of the Tuscan classic Uova e Spinaci Cotti alla Fiorentina which we posted during aforementioned egg-focused period. And, not only does it allow one to indulge a fetish for eggs and meat, but the visual contrast on your plate of the white and yellow of the egg against a reddish-brown background of ragú is one to please children of all ages, even those in their 30s.

Less research than we typically do suggests that this is not an authentic Bolognese dish, and in fact, our inspiration came from a menu item - Uova al Pomodoro (eggs baked in a marina sauce) - at a small local trattoria called Apertivo. Nevertheless, we feel that it should definitely sit among the greats in the canon of Emilia-Romagna cuisine, utilising as it does the king of sauces, the ragú.

The main key to success, then, in this stupidly simple dish, apart from some (forgive the pun) good eggs, is clearly the quality of your ragú, so we strongly encourage you to read at least some of the marathon post that is A Tale of Two Sauces: It’s A Traditional Ragú Bolognese Deathmatch from last year to get a sense of the time, effort and joy involved in creating this wonderful thing. Then, once made (and you will have plenty leftover), simply add sauce to a large saucepan, heat until simmering, and crack in as many eggs as you like (two per person seems about right). Then, either cover with pan lid and reduce heat to medium-low, or slap the whole thing into a 350F (180C) oven and bake until eggs are firm, about fifteen minutes. It can be served over pasta (think pappardelle or tagliatelle) or simply as a main course with some bread and salad on the side. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be upset if I was served this for breakfast either.

***No, this is not a grilled-cheese sandwich!

I have to give it up to my favorite cooking mag Saveur (and subsequently the chef who created this recipe, Bruce Sherman of North Pond in Chicago) for introducing me to one of the coolest, most creative and tasty ways to cook fish. In the October, 2007 issue of Saveur, there is a recipe for Bread-Crusted Halibut. When I read the recipe, I got so excited to try it. I had never (nor would ever) thought of utilizing white bread as a way to encrust a fillet of fish – BRILLIANT! First of all, I haven’t purchased a loaf of white Wonder Bread in about, well… hmmm… maybe since college? Actually, screw that. I couldn’t afford a loaf of Wonder Bread in college. I believe the last time I ate the 99 cent special was 1985, until my mom realized it was not as good for us as wheat bread and made us switch.

So there I was in the store, bypassing my stupid (but delish) and ridiculously overpriced $4 loaf of organic whole grain bread, and grabbing the soft, airy 99 cent white-bread loaf. Although I was glad I was saving some dough (no pun intended), I wondered what the hell I was really going to do with 25 slices of uneaten white bread. PB&J for two weeks? Baloney and Cheese? Crutons, anyone? Whatever, for 99 cents I could throw the rest out! (Guess what? I figured out a way to use those extra slices!! See the “Update” down at the end of this post).

The recipe in Saveur called for halibut, but I didn’t feel like biking the 15 blocks to the fish monger so I bought the nicest looking fish at my grocery store, red snapper. You can definitely substitute a fillet of any type of firm white fish for this recipe. And let me tell you, using white bread as the crust for a filet of fish is absolutely delicious. It was buttery and crispy. I highly recommend trying this!!

WHITE-BREAD CRUSTED FISH WITH LEMON BUTTER SAUCE (feeds 2-4)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of snapper (or whatever firm whitefish you choose)
• 4-5 slices of cheap, white bread, crusts removed
• 1 eggwhite
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Lemon Butter Sauce

• 1/2 of small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons cream or sour cream
• Salt

What to do:

1. Slice your snapper into pieces the width of a piece of crust-less white bread. Feel free to use a piece as your ruler.
2. Season your fish with some salt and pepper.
3. Brush one side of the fish with the eggwhite. If using fish with skin, make sure you brush it on the skinless side. (You can use skinless fish or fish with skin on. Just make sure you score the skin to avoid it from curling up when cooking).
4. Press a piece of crustless white bread on to the side of fish you just brushed with eggwash. Press down so it adheres. Do this with each piece of fish.
5. Cut away any of the excess bread that is overlapping the sides of the fish.
6. Meanwhile, make your lemon butter sauce. Saute your diced onion in some butter or oliveoil until translucent. Deglaze with your white wine. Let the wine simmer down until only about 1-2 tablespoons remain. Add the lemon juice and let simmer for another minute or so then add your cream and the butter, allowing it to simmer for a few more minutes so it’s thick. Add a pinch of salt if necessary (sometimes this helps balance out the tartness of the lemon). Keep warm.
7. Now, back to the fish. Heat up a tablespoon or two of butter along with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. When melted, add the fish, bread side down, to the pan. Allow to saute about 2 1/2 minutes on the bread side, then flip to saute the skin side. Cook about 5-6 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. The bread side should be crispy and browned. If you think it needs more time to brown, allow to saute for another 30 seconds or so.
8. Serve topped with your lemon butter sauce and with your choice of sides. We liked grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes/carrots medley. Enjoy!

***UPDATE: Four days later I had friends over for dinner and ended up using all the rest of the white bread for some appetizers. These appetizers were very gross-looking, very 1950′s, but very delish to eat. You mix about 3/4 of a cup of mayo (I know… it already sounds gross), with a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce and a good handful of parmesean cheese. Mix. Spread on crustless white bread and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Cut into triangles. Voila!

CHECK OUT SOME OTHER POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY: 

• WHOLE FISH BAKED IN SALT
  
• SWEET ANISE-FLAVORED SALMON IN A POUCH (SALMON EN PAPILLOTE)
• SQUID WITH GOLDEN POTATOES
• COCONUT CHILI SHRIMP WITH ROASTED VEGGIE RICE
• WHOLE FRIED SNAPPER WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY SAUCE
• Could Cheap White Bread Be the Answer to the End of World Hunger?
• Free Lunch for Inner-City Kids – If It’s Free Does It Have To Be Crap?