Farmer's Market Finds: The Best Damn Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich with Crispy Prosciutto, Peppery Arugula, Soft Herbs, + Sriracha Powder on Buttered White Bread

As long as I can remember, I have never liked deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. However, that was all changed when we went to our favorite restaurant, JCT Kitchen, and we ordered some of their famous deviled eggs with country ham. I've made and posted their recipe here (with my own little twist) and they were fab. So I thought, why not turn them into a deviled egg sandwich? Now to make this sandwich even better, I used my favorite items that I found at our local farmer's market. This baby arugula is to die for... if you're in the local Atlanta area, stop by the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market and buy some of this arugula from Abundant Harvest Gardens. We normally have to buy two bags every Saturday, one to cook with and one to snack on during the ride home. I don't think I can adequately describe the flavor of these greens. It is nothing like the arugula you buy at the grocery store that is sorta peppery... this shit is straight up wasabi. I literally can't rave about it enough. I'm also in love with this bread. It's from another vendor at the farmer's market, TGM Bread. But anyway, back to this sandwich... you start by boiling a dozen of eggs until they are just cooked through. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the yellow egg yolks, homemade mayo or aioli, softened goat cheese, minced cornichons + shallots, dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and a whole mess of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, basil, and parsley to be exact). Then all you have to do is fold in the diced up egg whites and season with salt + pepper. The one component left, that really takes this recipe over the top, is the crispy prosciutto. I've had all different kinds of egg salad sandwiches, most of them had bacon them, and it just didn't taste quite right. I love the flavor of the country ham/prosciutto on JCT's deviled eggs, so I thought that would be perfect on a sandwich. But, one thing that had to be changed was the texture. This was easily solved by baking some prosciutto until the fat rendered and began to crisp up. Essentially, because it is so thinly sliced, the meat practically melts on your tongue, so that you have delicious-porky-goodness with each bite. All that you have to do is assemble the sandwiches. Get your gorgeous loaf of white bread and fry it in some butter until golden brown + toasted. Next, you slather on a thick heap of that herbed egg salad, followed by a sprinkling of homemade sriracha powder. Finally, you just lay on some slices of that crispy prosciutto and a mound of those spicy arugula greens. The only thing left to do is to devour it. And trust me, that is the easiest and yummiest part of the recipe! Enjoy :)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

EVOO, For Brushing

3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Cracked Pepper

For the Herbed Egg Salad:

12 Extra Large Eggs

¼C + 1T Homemade Aioli

3 Cornichons, Finely Minced

1 Small Shallot, Minced

2T Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

2t Dijon Mustard

1T White Balsamic Reduction (honey may be substituted if needed)

2T Fresh Chives, Snipped

1T Fresh Tarragon, Minced

2t Fresh Basil, Minced

1t Fresh Parsley, Minced

Kosher + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches:

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto Slices

Prepared Herbed Egg Salad

Fresh Baby Arugula

Homemade Sriracha Powder, For Sprinkling

Buttered, Toasted Slices of White Bread

Directions:

1. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich. 

2. For the Herbed Egg Salad: In a large pot, cover the eggs with cold water and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath until chilled, about 5-10 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer that is fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the aioli, minced cornichons, goat cheese, Dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and minced shallots. Peel the eggs and slice them in half, and then scoop out the yellow egg yolk. On a cutting board, dice up the egg whites into bite size pieces and set them aside. Add the yolks to the bowl of aioli; beat this mixture until it is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the diced egg whites and herbs into the whipped egg yolk-aioli mixture. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the egg salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your sandwich.

3. Assembling the Sandwiches: In a small sauté pan, toast your bread in a little bit of butter until it is golden brown. Remove the bread from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Top one slice of the bread with the herbed egg salad, a sprinkle of Sriracha powder, a few strips of crispy prosciutto, and a pile of fresh baby arugula, followed by the other slice of bread. Enjoy while the arugula is still crisp!

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, 

Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Springtime is Brunch time. I don't know why exactly, but we look forward to Sunday every weekend, just so I can whip up some pancakes or doughnuts or waffles in the case of this recipe. We are waffle-crazed people ever since I bought us a fancy schmancy waffle maker last year. And hey guys, what's more brunch-y than a Croque Madame Sandwich? I mean, it has ham, cheese, a glorious cheese sauce, and a big fat friggin' fried egg on top. Sign us up, we're totes there. But, we couldn't just make a classic sandwich, we don't know how to do classic in this house. Why not a Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with overnight yeasted waffles in place of bread? Perfection. This stacked "sandwich" is made for a man, but trust me, no woman could do this down. The waffles have this wonderful yeasty beer taste, and then when it's paired with sweet ham, nutty gruyere cheese, and extra runny fried eggs... you're in hangover food paradise. We would know, we're hungover a lot. After everything is all layered and stacked, you get the utterly satisfying vision of watching the Béchamel Sauce cascade/waterfall over the waffles. And in Piece, Love, & Cooking land, fried eggs make everything better. Oh hey, fun fact, did you know that eggs actually help you feel better when you're hungover? There's something called "cysteine" that break down toxins in the body. So, drink as much alcohol as you want, as long as you eat eggs afterwards... that's right, right? Yep. Be fancy, make a stack of waffles, call them a Napoleon, and cure your hangover all at the same time... that's our motto!! Enjoy :)

More Eggs... Less Hungover

Oh-so-many yeasted waffles

This is the cascading waterfall that I was talkin' about...

For the Overnight Yeasted Waffles:

½C Warm Water

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

2C Buttermilk, Warmed

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

1t Salt & Sugar

2C AP Flour

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

¼t Baking Soda

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3T Unsalted Butter

3T AP Flour

2C Whole Milk

12oz Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½ C Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste

For the Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon:

Prepared Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Cooked until Golden Brown & Crispy

Dijon Mustard

Thinly Sliced Honey Baked Ham, For Layering

Shredded Gruyere Cheese (the remaining that is leftover from the sauce)

Prepared Béchamel Sauce

2-3 Fried Eggs per Stack

Minced Chives, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Overnight Waffles: Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight. When you’re ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron. Also, preheat the oven to warm and place a baking sheet in the oven. Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth (the batter will be very thin). Fill the waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until golden brown & crispy. Transfer the finished waffles to the baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm.

2. For the Béchamel Sauce: Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup of grated Gruyere and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3. Assembling the Stacks:Heat broiler to high. Place 2 waffles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham, some Gruyere, and a fried egg. Repeat this process again by stacking another waffle spread with mustard, ham, and cheese. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with one last waffle, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

4. Garnishing the Stacks:Once the cheese has melted, remove the stacks from the oven and top them with one last fried egg and garnish with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper, as well as some fresh chives for color.

Date Night: Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel

Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel 

It's been a long, long, longgggggg time since I have last posted a Date Night recipe. And this meal will surely make up for the lost time! As many of you know, I am an avid lover of all salads, my Mountain Man, on the other hand, doesn't get that yearning for a big ole' pile of frilly greens like I do. But, his mind can quickly be changed when a hearty steak is added into the mix. Oh, and crispy fried shallots don't hurt it either. This bad boy of a salad is loaded with a bunch of yummy ingredients... sweet dried cherries, fresh apple slices, crunchy apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, & candied pecans. The base of it all is a mix between heirloom greens, frisee lettuce, and baby arugula. Then, they are all tossed in my go-to Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, which perfectly complements the other components of the dish. I like all of the balance of these different greens put together for a lot of variety and then the acidic-sweet dress that is dressed in. Now, here's where it all comes up to you... We love our filet mignons to be crusted in fancy fleur de sel and coarsely ground peppercorns. It is super hearty and extremely flavorful. But, most importantly, we prefer our steaks to be cooked to a bright red medium rare. It has such a deep, complex meatiness that way and it literally just melts into your mouth. But, I know that not everyone feels the same way we do, so please cook your meat according to your preferences. After every thing has been assembled, you have to garnish it off with a heapin' mouthful of crispy shallots. Life don't get much betta than this, y'all!! Enjoy :)

Beautifully Cooked Filet Mignon + Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel Drizzle

Crispy. Shallots. Are. My. Life.

Dried Cherries, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Crispy Shallots, Apple Chips,  & Apple Slices

For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel:

½C Red Wine

1C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Dark Brown Sugar

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

2T Olive Oil

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

4T Maple Syrup

2t Dijon Mustard

2T Grainy Mustard

2t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pecans:

1 ½C Pecans, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, & Cayenne (or to your taste, I did a large pinch)

For the Crispy Shallots:

4 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

½C Buttermilk + 2T Hot Sauce

AP Flour, For Coating

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Steakhouse Salad:

Mixed Heirloom Greens, Frisee Lettuce, & Baby Arugula (or your favorite salad greens)

Prepared Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, For Dressing the Salad

Prepared Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped

1-2C Dried Cherries

1 Fuji Apple, Thinly Sliced

Apple Chips

Crumbled Bleu Cheese

½C Red Onion, Finely Minced

2T Freshly Parsley, Minced

Seared Filet Mignon, Cooked to your Preference & Sliced

Prepared Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel, For Drizzling

Crispy Shallots, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel: Place red wine in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and boil until the vinegar has reduced to about ¼ cup and is very syrupy and big shiny bubbles are forming at the surface. Watch the mixture very closely at this point — it will burn very easily. If it appears too thin, be assured that it will thicken upon cooling. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into a clean jar and let it thicken before drizzling over the salad.

2. For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to toss the salad.

3. For the Candied Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the pecans to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dish (after they have hardened, you can chose whether or not you want to chop them up or leave them whole).

4. For the Crispy Shallots: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce until combined. Add in the thinly shaved shallots and toss them in the spicy milk mixture until they are thoroughly covered. Let these onions soak for roughly an hour. When you are ready to fry, heat some vegetable oil up to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, drain the shallots from the milk, and then lightly coat them in some AP Flour, shaking well to remove any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil, in small batches, until they are crispy & golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Once cooked, strain from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining shallots. After they have all been fried, set them aside until you are ready to garnish the salad with them.

5. For the Steakhouse Salad: In a large mixing bowl, place the mixed greens and lettuce in a bowl, along with the candied pecans, dried cherries, apple slices, apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, minced red onion, and parsley. Toss them together until all of the ingredients are incorporated throughout. Next, pour some of the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss until just combined (don’t overdress the salad or it will be soggy). Lay the slices of the filet mignon on top of the dressed salad, and then generously drizzle some of the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel over the steak and the salad. Garnish the salad with a big pile of crispy shallots. Enjoy immediately with a big glass of red wine!

source: balsamic caramel.

Beer Battered Monte Cristo Sandwiches with Homemade Chipotle-Strawberry Jam

Beer Battered Monte Cristo Sandwiches with Homemade Chipotle-Strawberry Jam

Beer Battered Monte Cristo Sandwiches?? Yeah, that's the perfect way to start any Sunday morning. 

So, what's the cast of characters, you ask, well they are...

Brioche Bread (yes that buttery, heavenly, yet sinfully delicious bread)

Dijon Mustard

Gruyere Cheese

Honey Ham + Honey Turkey

Vanilla Bean Scented Beer Batter (vanilla bean goes in everything)

Confectioners' Sugar

Homemade Chipotle-Strawberry Jam 

This was one of our favorite brunches to date. I especially love Monte Cristo's, but my Mountain Man hadn't ever really had one. So, I explained to him that they were ham + cheese sandwiches that get the "french toast treatment", and then they are served with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and maple syrup or fruit preserves. We ended up deciding to go the fruit preserve route because I've caught the pickling + preserving bug this year, so any chance that I get to make a new concoction, then I'm on board. The only thing I was worried about was that between all of these sweet flavors, I knew we would want a spicy kick somewhere in the recipe. That's when I officially went off the deep end and added in some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This simple addition brought a nice smokiness + spiciness to the jam, but didn't overpower the natural sweetness of the berries. And lemme tell y'all, it perfectly complemented the sandwiches. Now for the good part... the beer batter. It's studded with a'whole'lotta beer, vanilla beans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. After assembling the sandwiches, you dip them into this luscious, smooth batter, and then you deep fry them in the hot oil until they are golden brown + crispy. Once they are "crunchified", you can slice 'em up and cover them in a good ole' dusting of that powdery, white sugar and then dip them into the sweet + spicy jam. And trust me folks, you get every foodie sensation from these guys... crispy, hot, buttery, melty, spicy, tangy, and ever-so-sweet. We loved these Monte Cristo's and I'm sure your family & friends will too!! Enjoy :)

These are soooooo good, people!!

For the Chipotle-Strawberry Preserves:

3C Sugar

2 Lemons, Zested & Juiced

¼t Salt

2C Strawberries, Cut into Small Cubes

1C Strawberries, Smashed

3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, Minced

For the Beer Batter:

2C AP Flour

1T Sugar

Pinch of Salt & Freshly Grated Nutmeg

¼t Cinnamon

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

1t Vanilla Extract

1C + 6T Beer

Few Drops of Yellow Food Dye

For the Monte Cristo Sandwiches:

Prepared Beer Batter

Slices of Brioche Bread

Dijon Mustard, For Spreading

Slices of Honey Ham + Honey Turkey

Gruyere or Swiss Cheese (sliced or shredded)

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

Confectioners’ Sugar, For Dusting

Chilled Chipotle-Strawberry Preserves, For Serving

Directions:

1. For the Chipotle-Strawberry Preserves: In a deep pot, mix together the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over medium heat, while whisking, until the sugar dissolves. Add in the cubed strawberries, mashed strawberries, and minced chipotle peppers. Bring the mixture to a light bowl and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Check the gel consistency by placing a small amount of the jam on a plate and refrigerate. If it is still runny, then simmer for another 10 minutes or so until it gels properly. Once you have reached the desired consistency, place the hot jam into sterilized jars and seal. Chill some of the jam for serving.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in your deep fryer to 350 degrees.

3. For the Beer Batter: Put all the dry ingredients and spices in a bowl and whisk together. Add in the beer, vanilla extract, and yellow food dye. Whisk until lumps are gone.

4. For the Monte Cristo Sandwiches: Assemble the sandwiches by spreading each slice of bread with a little Dijon mustard, and then layer on some cheese, followed by the ham, turkey, more cheese, and the other piece of bread. Place two toothpicks into the sandwiches, so that when you dip and fry them, they will stay together. Dip the sandwiches into the beer batter and let the excess drain off. Gently lay them into the hot oil for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown & crispy. Remove the crispy sandwiches from the hot oil onto a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Cut them in half to form smaller triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

5. Eat the sandwiches while they are still hot with some Chipotle-Strawberry Preserves for dipping!