Author Notes: From Bernadette Worndl’s Fruit: Recipes That Celebrate Nature: “Poached egg with strawberries and quinoa was a dish served to us for breakfast by an old lady at her chicken farm outside Chicago, which doubled as a kitschily decorated guesthouse. Since then, whenever I taste the combination of egg and strawberries, I always think of that lovely lady and her fairytale farm.” —Food52
Food52 Review: Featured in: The Strawberry Quinoa Salad That Converted a Salad Hater —The Editors
Serves: 4
Ingredients
-
150
grams (5½ oz) quinoa
-
500
grams (1 lb 2 oz) strawberries
-
3
to 4 mint sprigs
-
3
to 4 tarragon sprigs
-
2
tablespoons olive oil
-
60
milliliters (2 fl oz/ 1/4 cup) white-wine vinegar
-
Pinch of finely grated orange zest
-
1
orange, juice of
-
4
small eggs
-
1
handful rocket (arugula), red sorrel, or mizuna
-
1
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
100
grams (3½ oz) soft goat’s cheese
Directions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water, to wash away any bitterness. Combine 300 ml (10 fl oz) water and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan, then cover and bring to the boil. Rain in the quinoa and simmer gently over very low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, for about 15 minutes to swell up.
- Meanwhile, slice the strawberries or chop into wedges. Pick the mint and tarragon leaves and roughly chop. In a bowl, combine the quinoa, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the white-wine vinegar, and the orange zest and juice.
- Fill a saucepan with 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water and add the remaining vinegar. Bring to the boil. Break the eggs, one at a time, into a cup, taking care not to break the yolk. Carefully slide the eggs, one at a time, into the bubbling water and spoon the white over the yolk. Reduce the heat – the water should be just under boiling. Cook the eggs for 3–4 minutes then, using a skimmer or slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs from the water and drain on paper towel.
- Toss the herbs, salad leaves and strawberries with the quinoa and transfer to a serving plate. Season with salt and pepper, crumble over the goat’s cheese and top with the poached eggs.
Photo by Julia Gartland