Equipment
Ingredients
Sorrel Cream Sauce
- 15 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 15 g shallot, finely diced
- 50 g fresh sorrel, stems removed, chiffonade
- 60 ml heavy cream, minimum 36 percent fat
- 2 g salt
- 1 g white pepper
Poached Eggs
- 1000 ml water
- 15 ml white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
Serving
- 2 sourdough bread, thick slices
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 344 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 907 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 236 mg
- Potassium
- 125 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 124 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 555 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 28 mcg
- Water
- 63 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the finely diced shallot and sweat gently until translucent, about 3 minutes. Do not let it brown.
Add the prepared sorrel to the saucepan. Stir continuously until wilted. The sorrel will dramatically reduce in volume and change from bright green to a muted olive tone; this natural reaction to its own acidity is entirely normal.
Pour in the heavy cream. Increase the heat to medium and simmer gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and white vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer at exactly 85C (185F). You should see tiny bubbles rising slowly from the bottom, but no vigorous boiling.
Crack each egg into its own small bowl. Using a spoon, stir the simmering water to create a gentle vortex. Carefully slide the eggs into the center of the vortex. Poach for exactly 3 minutes. For vulnerable populations, consider using pasteurized eggs as this recipe results in undercooked yolks.
While the eggs are poaching, toast the sourdough slices until deeply golden and crispy.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the poached eggs from the water. Briefly rest the spoon on a clean paper towel to drain all excess water. Place one toasted sourdough slice on each plate, top with a poached egg, and generously nap with the warm sorrel sauce. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Sorrel contains high amounts of oxalic acid. When heated, this acid breaks down chlorophyll, turning the leaves a drab brownish-green. Do not try to prevent this by undercooking; the flavor remains spectacular and the visual shift is a hallmark of classic French preparations.
- Draining poached eggs thoroughly is a critical step that separates professional plating from amateur execution. Even a teaspoon of leftover poaching water will instantly break and dilute the luxurious cream sauce on the plate.
- For the neatest poached eggs, crack the egg into a fine mesh sieve first. Swirl gently to let the liquidy, aged part of the egg white drain away, then transfer the remaining tight white and yolk to a small bowl for poaching.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store leftover sauce only. Poached eggs and toast must be made fresh.
Troubleshooting
Egg whites feather and separate wildly in the water
Cause: Eggs are too old, or the water is boiling too vigorously.
Fix: Trim the ragged edges with kitchen scissors after removing from the water before plating.
Prevention: Use the freshest eggs possible and strain away watery albumen in a fine mesh sieve before poaching. Ensure water remains at a gentle 85C simmer.
Sorrel sauce splits or looks greasy
Cause: Cream was boiled too rapidly or did not have a high enough fat content.
Fix: Remove from heat immediately and vigorously whisk in a teaspoon of cold water or cold cream to re-emulsify.
Prevention: Use genuine heavy cream (at least 36 percent fat) and simmer very gently.
Sauce is overly sour or astringent
Cause: The specific bunch of sorrel has a higher concentration of oxalic acid than usual.
Fix: Whisk in a tiny pinch of sugar and an extra tablespoon of heavy cream to mellow the acidity.
Prevention: Taste the raw sorrel beforehand to gauge its tartness.
Cultural Context
Sorrel (oseille) is a foundational herb in French countryside cooking, prized for a lemony tang that brilliantly cuts through rich ingredients like butter, cream, and egg yolks. The pairing of eggs and sorrel bridges humble rustic cooking and refined sauce techniques, famously elevated during the Nouvelle Cuisine movement by chefs like the Troisgros brothers.
