Cast Iron

Onion Cup Eggs Picada + Sage Sausage with Red Pepper Puree

by:
December  8, 2010
5
1 Ratings
Onion Cup Eggs Picada + Sage Sausage with Red Pepper Puree
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This meal best suits groups of 4-6, as the onion cup eggs can be a little fussy if you're trying to serve a real crowd, but since this meal has several components, most of which are simple, you can take advantage of the holiday blessing/curse of having too many cooks in the kitchen and divide the preparation. Memories of childhood breakfasts in East Texas make me crave sage sausage patties at this time of year and this little meal shows them off nicely. The picada topping, which I am told is traditionally used to flavor and thicken soups and stews in Catalonia, is adapted from Judy Rodger's The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. The onion egg cups are essentially shirred eggs in an edible ramekin. Be sure to cook them until only just set so that the runny yolk will spill out when you cut into them. For me, the balance of savory and sweet, and of salt and spice in this meal seems right at home during the holidays, but feel free to tinker with the herbs and spices in the sausage patties. Breakfast sausage is a deeply personal thing. Serve with crusty bread to mop up any red pepper puree and egg yolk left on the plate. ---BTE —Big Tex Eats

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Onion Cup Eggs Picada
  • 4 onions
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 4 teaspoons heavy cream
  • salt
  • pepper (black or white)
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/8 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1/8 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
  • 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon rosemary, coarsely chopped
  • Sage Sausage with Red Pepper Puree
  • 4 red peppers
  • 2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon sage, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Onion Cup Eggs Picada
  2. TO MAKE THE ONION CUPS: Peel and vertically halve the onions, then trim root and tip.
  3. Slice off a small amount of each onion's curved bottom so it will stand upright.
  4. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the larger cut face of the onions, meanwhile melt butter over medium heat.
  5. Cook onions, salted side down, in a skillet until face is golden, about 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and, using a fork, peel out the center of the onion a layer at a time until you are left with a cup shaped onion about three layers thick. Set aside the removed centers for the picada topping.
  7. TO MAKE THE PICADA: Coarsely chop the removed onion centers and return them to the skillet with the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. You may need to add a little more butter to the pan.
  8. Add the breadcrumbs, chopped pecans, and rosemary to the skillet and stir together with onions and garlic. Remove from heat.
  9. TO FINISH THE DISH: Preheat oven to 400 F. Crack an egg into each onion cup and season with salt and pepper. Pour 1 teaspoon heavy cream over each egg, then divide the picada topping evenly among the cups. Bake until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
  1. Sage Sausage with Red Pepper Puree
  2. TO MAKE THE RED PEPPER PUREE: Preheat oven to 450 F. Roast red peppers on a foil lined pan for 50 minutes, turning once about halfway through.
  3. Remove from oven, bundle foil lining around the peppers, and allow to cool, about 25 minutes.
  4. Discard the seeds and peel of the cooled peppers, then blend the remainder to a puree with fruity olive oil and a few generous pinches of salt to taste.
  5. TO MAKE THE SAGE SAUSAGE PATTIES: Stir together ground pork, sage, rosemary, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt until well mixed.
  6. Divide the pork mixture into evenly sized balls, about 1 1/2 inches across, then flatten into patties about 1/2 an inch thick.
  7. Fry in a cast iron skillet for about 12 minutes, until no longer pink inside, flipping them once about halfway through.
  8. TO FINISH THE DISH: Spoon a little red pepper puree onto each sausage patty and serve.
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1 Review

Sagegreen
Sagegreen December 8, 2010
I just love the colors of all those eggs!