The poached egg doesn’t deserve its reputation as a technical dish. With water held at a gentle simmer and extra-fresh eggs, it’s reliably reproducible — and when you add a homemade morel cream, the result far surpasses what most bistros serve. It’s the kind of dish you make on a Saturday morning, without rushing.
Ingredients :
- Dried morels (50 g) — The true stars of the dish. Dried, they are concentrated in flavor — rehydration releases that characteristic woody aroma that no fresh commercial mushroom can match. Prefer whole morels over broken pieces: they hold up better during cooking and the presentation is cleaner. Plantin or a specialty shop are good sources; avoid supermarket packets that smell like cardboard.
- Heavy cream (25 cl) — Its role is dual: it binds the sauce and softens it. Heavy cream withstands simmering without breaking, which a light version would not. With 50 g morels and four eggs, it’s not the time to skimp on fat.
- Chicken broth (10 cl) — It provides the savory, round structure that cream alone wouldn’t, and creates the reduction base that concentrates flavors. A cube dissolved in hot water works fine; no need to prepare veal stock. For a vegetarian version, a slightly robust vegetable broth works perfectly.
- Shallot — More delicate than onion, it melts into the butter without overpowering and lets the morels speak. Its role is to provide a sweet aromatic base in the sauce. Chop it very finely — if left in large pieces, it will still be slightly crunchy when the cream is ready, which ruins the desired velvety texture.
