Eggs à la Golden Rod

A former student recently reminded me of this recipe we prepared in Home Ec. years ago. She made it for her kids and now whips it up for her grandkids.

My mom made the same thing but called it Creamed Eggs. We had it for special occasion breakfasts and sometimes even for supper.

This recipe comes straight from my old Betty Crocker Cookbook. The base is the ever-versatile white sauce (sometimes referred to as béchamel sauce).

Eggs à la Golden Rod

1 cup Medium White Sauce (click on name to access our recipe)

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Toast, biscuits, crisp chow mein noodles, fluffy boiled rice or patty shells

Optional garnishes: grated or sieved hard-cooked egg yolk, sprigs of parsley or crisp bacon

1.   Hard cook eggs according to directions that follow. I use an egg slicer to chop the eggs – cutting the eggs both horizontally and vertically. If desired, reserve 2 of the yolks to grate or sieve over the top for a garnish.

2.   Prepare white sauce according to directions in linked recipe.

3.   Carefully fold chopped eggs into hot white sauce.

4.   Serve on toast (our favorite is made from Wild Rice Bread), biscuits, etc.

5.   Garnish as desired.

Possible additions to the white sauce: 1 cup chopped ham, 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms that have been browned in butter, 1 cup flaked tuna or salmon or add seasonings, such as curry (1/4 tsp.) or throw in some grated cheese.

Vist Chefs.com to find out more about the make up of an egg.

To Properly Hard-Cook Eggs: 

Boiling toughens delicate egg protein. Gentle cooking pays off, so the correct culinary term is ''hard-cooked,'' not ''hard-boiled.''

The most important rule is to use less-fresh eggs*. Have them in the refrigerator at least a few days before hard-cooking them to make peeling easier.

Follow these steps for properly hard-cooked eggs . . .

1. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.
2. Add enough tap water to come at least 1” above the eggs.
3. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. 
4. If necessary, remove pan from burner to prevent further boiling. 
5. Let eggs stand, covered, in the hot water about 15 to 17 minutes for large-size eggs. Adjust time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.
6. When time is up, immediately run cold water over eggs or place them in ice water until completely cooled.
7. To remove shell, crackle it by tapping all over.  Roll egg between hand and counter to loosen shell and, then peel from the large end. 

*For additional details on why you should use older eggs to hard-cook, go to Wired.com http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/eggs-hard-to-peel/