Artichokes Calamat with Poached Eggs

Artichokes Calamat with Poached Eggs

This is an excellent choice for breakfast as we substitute English muffins with artichokes. If you want to make this breakfast even more low-fat, omit the butter sauce. I love the simplicity yet the elegance of this dish!

4 artichokes
1 lemon
1 tbs flour
2 cups thawed out peas
6 tbs cold butter
2 tbs cooking white wine
2 basil leaves
4 eggs
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill out a large bowl with water, dissolve the flour in it and add the juice of half a lemon. This mixture is called a blanc. Cut the artichokes stem and leaves. Remove the heart very quickly but carefully and submerge the artichoke in the blanc constantly to prevent browning as much as possible. Rub the artichoke with the other half of the lemon constantly as well. The artichoke should look like a little cup once it is ready.

Transfer the blanc to a large pot, add a little salt and simmer the artichokes for about 20 minutes. They should not be mushy. Remove and set aside.

In a large pan, bring water to a simmer and poach the eggs for about 10 minutes. While eggs are cooking, chop the basil leaves.

In a small, non-reactive pan, add the wine and warm it up. Add cold butter and swirl it around the pan. If the pan is too hot, the butter will break. Keep adding cold butter until the 6 tbs have been used. Add chopped basil and season with salt and pepper.

Add peas and coat them with the butter. Add peas to the artichoke heart and top it with the poached egg. Season egg with salt and pepper. Hmm! Yum!

Bon Apetito!