Poached eggs with Speck Alto Adige PGI

Preparation

Poached eggs:

Pour the water and the white-wine vinegar into a small pot. Add the bay leaf and the peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Break each egg into a small bowl without damaging the yolk. Gently let the egg slide out of the bowl into the water-vinegar mixture – if an egg has stuck to the bottom of the pot, unstick it with an angled spatula or a spoon. Poach each egg for 3 to 5 minutes (the white must have set, but the yolk must remain soft). Lift the egg out of the water-vinegar mixture with a flat skimming ladle and set it aside for later use.

Cauliflower cream:

Braise the shallots in butter, add the cauliflower and cream, and leave the whole to thicken for a while. Season with salt and pepper, and purée in a blender.

Finishing:

Spread the cauliflower cream on the dishes, place a poached egg on top. Add the roasted Speck Alto Adige PGI cubes and finely cut chives. Garnish each egg with slices of Speck Alto Adige PGI, a few drops of olive oil, and a chive stalk before serving.

No salt is used for this recipe because it would cause the egg white to break into pieces. Other delicious accompaniments to a poached egg are spinach in butter, braised strips of vegetables, mashed potatoes, and Rösti.