Eggs in a Shirt: the Original Eggs Benedict
Uova in camicia, aka Eggs in a Shirt, dish by Chef Riccardo Severi plated with a cream of chicory leaves and fresh peas.
Cooking live from his garden in Romagna Italy at a VeroTalk, Chef Riccardo Severi introduced us to a traditional dish from the Italian countryside in Romagna, Uova in Camicia which literally means ‘Eggs in a Shirt’.
Chef Riccardo’s literal farm-to-table credo was on full display in this dish, when he picked fresh peas and chicory right out of his garden to pair with eggs. Chef Riccardo’s passions for farm-to-table cuisine is showcased by his new project, Sovescio which he started when he found himself out of work at the start of the Covid lockdowns last year. Sovescio is Italian for the ‘green manure’ method which uses plant based organic and biodynamic methods to nourish the soil in agriculture. To learn more about Riccardo’s farm-to-table cooking philosophies read this previous blog article of ours.
But Chef Riccardo didn’t choose peas and chicory completely at random. Uova in Camicia, a poached egg with a green sauce and bacon, is a traditional lunch or dinner dish in Romagna, where Riccardo is from. As local traditions hold, it could be considered a precursor to ‘eggs benedict’, and perhaps hold a clue in the name ‘benedict’, as in the Benedictine monks.
One can’t help but notice the subtle similarities between the dish Chef Riccardo whipped up and our Americanized brunch dish. This traditional romagnolo dish, was a favorite of local Benedictine monks, who would sometimes replace the bacon with salted cod from Venice during lent. Chef Riccardo improvised the dish by adding fresh whipped peas from his garden to compliment the egg and bacon flavors.
While Uova in Camicia seems to be the origin to our popular breakfast/brunch dish ‘Eggs Benedict’, we love the fresh flavors present in Chef Riccardo’s Romagnolo version. And, being a lunch or dinner dish in an area in Italy where wine ‘overflows’, not surprisingly, it is paired with local wine.
In fact, while Chef Riccardo cooked for us at this VeroTalk, an owner of local Romagna based Braschi winery was there pairing Riccardo’s Uova in Camicia, with Braschi’s Famoso white wine, a local find made from a the recently rediscovered famoso grape. You can also pick up the Taste of Romagna Set (with shipping included) to get not only a bottle of famoso, but also sangiovese to try with a fresh pinzimonio from our previous blog.
Try out the the Romagna version of Eggs Benedict with the recipe below and buy traditional Romagna wines to pair today.
Poached Eggs with Cream of Chicory, Peas, and Bacon - Uova in Camicia con Crema di Cicoria, Piselli, e Bacon
Cooking and Prep Time: 30 minutes
Portions: 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
Dash white vinegar
2 cups in-shell Peas
Chicory leaves
Oil, Salt, Pepper
To Garnish:
4-6 thin slices bacon
Suggested Wine Pairings:
Braschi | Costone Sangiovese Superiore | Organic
Procedure:
1. Start by boiling the chicory leaves in salted water. Drain well and blend with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and salt. Pass through a chinois sieve and set the liquid sauce aside.
2. Again, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the peas, leaving to boil around 20 seconds, but not more than a minute. Drain and quickly rinse in cold water, cleaning them of the tough outer shell until only the soft peas remain. Set aside.
3. To cook the poached egg, bring a small yet deep saucepan of water to a boil. Add a few spoons of vinegar then stir the water quickly in a circular motion to create a vortex whirlpool. Quickly, break the egg into the center of the whirlpool and let cook for around 3 minutes or until ready. Drain carefully so as to not break the egg.
4. To plate this dish, start with a layer of the chicory sauce. Nearby, lay the poached egg and, while still hot, lay the thin bacon slices over it and let them soften and melt with the heat of the cooked egg. Alternatively, you can select thick bacon, cook it crisp, and crumble it over the top. Lastly, dress the peas with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently place them near the egg and chicory cream and enjoy the dish with a glass of white wine like Famoso!
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