Perfect Egg: Rye-crusted Egg, Cured Salmon, Sprouted Quinoa, Braised Cabbage, and Cumin Yogurt

INGREDIENTS:
METHOD:
In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, combine all the seeds and toast until fragrant. Transfer to a half-sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cool completely. Pour into spice grinder, grind coarsely, and dump into a mixing bowl. Mix in salt, sugar, dill, and tarragon. In a shallow baking dish, sprinkle about half the cure in a thin even layer. Carefully place salmon atop mixture. Sprinkle remaining cure over salmon in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap, top with another smooth-bottomed baking dish, and add a 2-pound weight. Refrigerate overnight. Rinse salmon under cold running water, remove cure; pat dry. Slice into 6 portions and keep refrigerated until 5 to 10 minutes before cooking.
Using a food processor with the slicing attachment, slice cabbage into thin strips, and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, toast peppercorns, fennel seeds, and bay leaves until fragrant. Transfer to a 3-inch x 3-inch square of cheesecloth. Fold up the corners of the cheesecloth and tie securely with twine. In the same pan, toast mustard seeds until fragrant. Remove pan from the heat and add vinegar, followed by the sachet, sugar, and salt. Return to heat, bring to boil, and immediately pour over cabbage. Pour wine over cabbage and rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Drain cabbage, reserving liquid. In a wide saucepot over medium flame, heat oil and sweat onion until soft and translucent. Add reserved liquid from cabbage, increase heat, and bring to a simmer. Decrease heat and reduced by half. Add cabbage and cook until tender, stirring often. Reserve keep warm.
In a nonreactive container, cover quinoa sprouts with warm water to double the depth of the quinoa. Cover tightly and allow to sit for 3 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Drain well and reserve.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients, seasoning with salt. Add the sprouted quinoa and mix thoroughly.
In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast cumin until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder and finely grind. In a mixing bowl, whisk to combine cumin with yogurt. Season with salt, cover, and refrigerate.
Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to boil. With a fine nail, prick 4 eggs at their wide end, just piercing their shells. Set a timer for 5 minutes. In a large container, make an ice bath. Start the timer and carefully add the pierced eggs to the boiling water. With a large spoon, gently stir water, creating a vortex; repeat every minute. As soon as the timer sounds, transfer eggs to ice bath; allow to chill. Softly tap eggs on the counter to crack the shell, and carefully peel. Into a bowl, crack the remaining raw egg and whisk vigorously. Set up a 3-part breading station with flour, the beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. Dust cooked eggs in flour, lightly coat in egg wash, and cover in breadcrumbs.
In a sautoir, heat canola oil to 365ºF. Plate a small portion of cabbage on each plate and spread a spoonful of Cumin Yogurt next to it. In a large sauté pan over medium-high flame, heat a very thin layer of olive oil and carefully add salmon; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, so the inside is rare but warm. Transfer salmon to serving plates, on top of cabbage. With a knife, spread a thin layer of mustard on top of salmon. Top with Herb and Quinoa Salad and gently pat down. In the sautoir, fry Perfect Eggs until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Season all sides with caraway salt and plate so the egg leans against the salmon.

Chef Phillip Perrow
- Dutch & Company
400 North 27th Street
Richmond, VA 23223
www.dutchandcompany...

Chef Caleb Shriver
- Dutch & Company
400 North 27th Street
Richmond, VA 23223
www.dutchandcompany...