Potato Nest with a Poached Egg
A nest of fine potato strips fried between two sieves, with a poached egg in the middle. It comes from a children's cookbook, but it is a brunch dish for adults: a poached egg has a runny yolk by definition. The move that decides the result is not in the book — the potato has to be rinsed and dried before it goes anywhere near the oil.
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes
- Plenty of oil for frying
- 2 very fresh eggs
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Coarse salt and pepper
- 2 metal sieves that nest inside each other
Method
- 1
Peel the potatoes and cut them into fine strips, not grated. Strips interlock and hold the nest together; coarsely grated potato falls apart the moment you lift the sieves.
- 2
Rinse the strips in cold water until it runs clear, then dry them very thoroughly with a cloth. This step is not in the book and it decides everything: wet potato spits in the oil and turns soft instead of crisp.
- 3
Heat plenty of oil to 180 °C. Without a thermometer: a strip should bubble at once without browning immediately.
- 4
Spread half the potato around the large sieve so it forms a nest against the sides, and press the smaller sieve on top.
- 5
Lower both sieves into the oil together. The nest cooks all over at once; there is nothing to turn. Lift it out after 3 to 4 minutes, evenly golden.
- 6
Remove the small sieve first, then the large one. The other way round the nest comes away with it and breaks. Drain on paper and salt immediately.
- 7
Repeat with the remaining potato.
- 8
For the eggs: bring water to the boil in a shallow pan, add the vinegar and stir a whirlpool. Then drop to the lowest heat, until the water barely trembles — a hard boil shreds the white.
- 9
Crack each egg into a cup first and slide it in from the rim. Poach for 3 minutes, until the white is opaque and the yolk still feels soft.
- 10
Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and set each egg in the centre of its nest. Season only now and serve at once: the nest loses its crispness within minutes.