Poached Eggs With Creamy Brussels Sprouts And Bacon

I thought it looked best without the parm, but
it tasted better with ;)

Tonight's dinner was wonderful.  If you think that you are not a fan of Brussels Sprouts, you haven't tried them shredded and or with bacon!  They were wonderful.  I had made something similar a long time ago with bacon and tomatoes.  Loved it then too.  If I were going to make any changes to this, I think some pureed tomatoes would be really good, but hardly necessary.  Eggs are always a quick fix for dinner, but what I like about this dish is that it is an all in one deal.  You have your protein, carbs and veg all in one tasty dish.  Poaching eggs takes a bit of practice to keep them from being a bit scary. (well for me at least)  I have had a lot of practice poaching eggs recently, as my three year old daughter prefers her eggs poached.  (ok there is a small down side to having kids that like a variety of good foods.  I remember my son in second grade wanted herb omelets for breakfast all year!)  The only person who wasn't the biggest fan of the dish was the boy, but he isn't a fan of most cabbages.  He ate it all; he didn't hate it.  He called it a 3, we called it a 4.5!



Poached Eggs With Creamy Brussels Sprouts And Bacon

1 t  plus 2 Tbs. cider vinegar
8 sl bacon,cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
4 sl country-style white sandwich bread,halved diagonally
2    Tbs. unsalted butter softened
1    large shallot,minced
10 oz (4 cups) medium Brussels sprouts,trimmed and shredded
2/3 c  heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8    large eggs
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350F.
Fill a 12-inch-wide, 2- to 3-inch-deep pan with 1-1/2 inches of water
and 1 tsp. cider vinegar. Bring the water to a simmer over high heat;
reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat,
stirring often, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes.
While the bacon is cooking, spread one side of the bread triangles
with 1 Tbs. of the butter and arrange butter side up on a small baking
sheet. Toast in the oven until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate
to drain. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. bacon fat from the skillet. Add the
remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the shallot to the skillet and cook over
medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and the
Brussels sprouts, cream, the remaining 2 Tbs. cider vinegar, and 1/4
tsp.  each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Cover the pan
and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are just
tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
While the Brussels sprouts cook, crack the eggs one at a time into a
small bowl or teacup and then gently slide each egg into the simmering
vinegar water. Poach until the whites are completely opaque but the
yolks are still soft, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the
eggs from the water (in the same order they were added) and gently blot
dry with a paper towel.
Put 2 toast triangles on each of 4 plates and top each toast with an
egg. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper and spoon the
Brussels sprout mixture on top. Sprinkle with the bacon and a few
shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.


With the Parm