Marie-Charlotte's Scrambled Eggs and Dandelions

If you have not read When French Women Cook, by Madeleine Kamman, I commend it to you. Originally published in 1976, this book was reprinted by Ten Speed Press in 2002. Ms. Kamman draws vivid portraits of eight French women, from eight regions of France, who influenced her and her cooking. One of the women profiled in this lovely book, Marie-Charlotte, was Madeleine Kamman's great grandmother. Marie-Charlotte lived in Paris, but longed for her country home of Poitou. The young Madeleine spent quite a bit of time with her in the 1930's.

Marie Charlotte combed the markets for the foods of her loved home, and whenever she could she hopped a train back to visit and supplied herself with regional ingredients. She recreated her kitchen of home in her Parisian flat, filled with crocks of salt pork, preserves, and ripening fruit. She had a knack for la Cuisine de Misere, defined by M.K. as "making something from nothing."(!) On a Sunday afternoon, the old woman and the little girl would often take a train to Nanterre, where they could pick dandelions to bring back to the kitchen.

When I saw some nice looking dandelions at the market, I thought I'd try Marie Charlotte's Scrambled Eggs and Dandelions-one last addition to Something Out of Nothing. As this is a very simple dish, I think it is particularly important to use the best ingredients you can manage. This is how I made it (slightly adapted). This amount will feed 2 to 3 people.

dandelion leaves, blanched and finely chopped 1/4 lb
unsalted butter (I used plugra) 1/4 cup
bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled 2 slices
salt
freshly ground black pepper
nice fresh free range eggs 6
heavy cream 3 fluid oz

good bread, nicely toasted and cut in triangles-I used pita

Suggestion: If you have a nonstick pan, use it. I do not generally favor the nonstick pan, and do a lot of my cooking in well-seasoned cast iron. However, I do keep one large flattish pan with a nonstick finish for intractibly sticky things. This stuff even tried to stick to the nonstick. I had to soak it. Be warned.

Heat 1 tbsp of the butter, and cook the greens until they begin to exude their juices, and continue to cook until quite nearly dry. Mix with the bacon and set aside. Clean pan. Beat the eggs with the salt, pepper and cream. Heat the remaining butter, and cook the eggs over a low heat, quite slowly, until they are half done. Add the greens and bacon, and continue to cook until the eggs are done, but still quite moist, and everything is heated through. Serve over the toast points.

I cooked the eggs very slowly, which is not exactly required in MK's original. However, I was entirely converted to the slow scrambling of eggs, when I tried it after reading about this method in The Wednesday Chef. They are so purely delicious this way. I can't believe I didn't know how to make scrambled eggs properly til now. And yes, I did stir them clockwise. I was luckily warned off trying to make my slow scrambled eggs in a cast iron pan, based on Luisa's experience with her eggs.

I had this for what I thought was a pretty elegant supper, with herbal tea, followed by a really outstanding pear. I think these eggs would also make a nice starter, spooned onto some bruschetta. I'm very taken with the dandelion flavor. The book has another dandelion recipe, also from Marie Charlotte, for a cream of dandelion soup. I may have to go back for more dandelion greens.

Comments

[Rebecca]

It may be time to ditch my 35 year old cast iron pan in favor of one of the new high tech pre-seasoned ones that are now available from Lodge. OTOH, I could try to really season it properly. What are your thoughts on this, since it seems silly to have it and not use it? (Especially silly since I actually move it almost daily to get to the non-stick pan that I REALLY use...) But philosophically and morally I'm more in favor of the cast iron.

[Lynn D.]

This sounds wonderful. As you know I love dandelion greens. The last time I made them was in a salad with tomatoes, kalamata olives and garlic, topped with barely seared ahi tuni and pan juices which sort of wilted the greens. I like dandelion greens so well I recently planted some Italian ones in the garden, even though my lawn has plenty of the common variety! Not long ago I read Julia Child's recipe for scrambled eggs, very much like above, but she added a tablespoon of cream or butter when taking them off the heat to stop the cooking. I'll have to try it.

[Julie]

I have had Madeleine Kamman's The New Making of a Cook on my wishlist for ages (hoping to find an inexpensive used copy) and I have just added this book.

I'm fascinated by the use of dandelion greens -- never had them. Makes me want to try it. Lynn's dandelion salad looks interesting too.

And, Rebecca, I wouldn't bother ditching my old cast iron pan for pre-seasoned ones. Seasoning is pretty easy. Here are some instructions

I don't have any non-stick pans. I've always been creeped out by the way non-stick pans lose their coating. We use cast iron frying pans almost exclusively and the finish is so silky I rarely have problems with things sticking. I clean mine with a small amount of dish soap (although many people don't use any soap) and if needed a blue scrubby. We don't baby our pans and maintaining the finish is easy. Using them to cook bacon now and then seems to help.

[lindy]

Rebecca-I use my cast iron for most everything, and find it virtually nonstick, also. I've had them for many years, and seldom use the back-up nonstick one. But I'm glad to have it when somethings a potential stickathon. I was warned by the wednesday chef, and took care. These slow cooked eggs really adhere.
Lynn-This is my first ever taste of dandelions. I don't know what took me so long-I love bitter greens. That salad sounds so fine.
Julie-I've been wanting to read the Making of a Cook, too. They don't seem to have it at my library so I guess it's saving the pennies.

[Kimberly]

This recipe sounds lovely. I love eggs with bacon, and bitter greens with bacon, so I imagine the combination of all three would be great.

We have a fresh crop of organic dandelions in our back yard. ;-) I'm sure my husband would be thrilled if I were to harvest them, but I'm not sure how willing he would be to eat them. Also, I don't know whether the standard Seattle variety would be particularly tasty. They look a little furry, too.

[lindy]

Kimberly-I wouldn't dare try the dandelions around my apt. bldg, as the landlord uses a poisonous lawn service. They are the furthest thing from organically grown.I think even handling them might be dangerous!

These look hairy too. Mutants? I wonder...

[an]

i've always loved dandelion greens
my grandfather would pick them at the family cottage (basically, a one room shack in maine) and make dandelion wine from them
i wish he was still around so i could get his recipe, but alas
i've thought about making it, but i feel that distilling booze in a small new york city apartment might be hazardous!
so, in the meantime i eat them and cook with them as much as possible!
thanks for the new recipe!

[pyewacket]

The best recipe I've made with dandelion greens is a salad from Chris Schlesinger's Lettuce in Your Kitchen. The dressing is a odd-but-delicious with molasses and peanuts, and the dandelions are tossed with nectarine and ham. It's unbelievably good, and I bet would work well with any leftovers you might have from your ham-in-Coke.

[Lynn D.]

There is something new under the sun! These eggs are a revelation. I've made them twice: once for me and once for my husband when he came home late from a music practice (not with the dandelion greens but with a simple scallion and a bit of goat's milk). I think they are best savored alone.

[lindy]

an-I am very interested in the dandelion wine. Isn't there a Ray Bradbury book of that title? What does it taste like?
Pyewacket-This is a book I've not heard of before..is it all salads? Nectarine and ham sounds awfully good. Molasses and peanuts? Hmm.
Lynn D. I agree totally. Alone. yup.