Eggs 3 Ways With Julia Child, a Vintage Chef Video

Edit: Well boo! The original PBS video was here, and the message on the page now states: “We were unable to find the page that was requested. Our engineers have been notified and we apologize for any inconvenience.” Fingers crossed for a new upload of this classic! Our apologies.

“The egg can be your best friend if you just give it the right break” – Julia Child

This vintage Julia Child video is from 1964 and is entitled “Elegance with eggs” from her “The French Chef” series on PBS.  The segment includes methods and tips for cooking eggs three ways:  baked eggs, shirred eggs, and omelettes.

Julia teaches us how to make baked eggs in steamed water using ramekin cups or molded muffin tins.  She places the eggs in their cups, and simmers in a pan of water on the stovetop until the bottom has just set, and finishes them in a 375 degree oven  for 6-7 minutes.  You may use these in any recipe as you would poached eggs, but Julia makes a gorgeous Egg Florentine recipe, see below for instructions.

Baked eggs tips and recipe:

• Julia puts salt only on the outside white, not the yolk, for aesthetic value, as salt may cause the yolks to look spotty.
• The eggs should not be overdone, you should be able to shake them in their cups, as they will continue to cook after removing from the oven.
• Let the molded eggs settle for 5 minutes, unmold and loosen by running a table knife around the edge.
• Egg with spinach, swiss cheese sauce on toast:  this Florentine style recipe makes an elegant entree or main course.  Cut a circle out of a piece of white bread, saute in butter on both sides.  Melt swiss cheese with heavy cream, add some of this to cooked chopped spinach.  Place spinach cheese mixture on top of the toast round, and top with the warm egg as prepared above.  Top with the remaining cheese sauce, garnish with a whole cooked mushroom and parsley.

In the second portion of the video (slide the bottom bar to 18:37), Julia prepares shirred eggs, aka “l’oeufs miroir”, which are put into flat pans, started on the stove top, and then finished under the broiler. Place an oven proof pan on the stove over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter, add 1-2 eggs to the warm butter. Just when the eggs have formed a film on the bottom, remove from the stovetop (add a small amount of cream and cheese if you wish) and place underneath a very hot broiler. Check the eggs frequently, and baste with a small amount of butter. When they are done, remove from the broiler (as above, you should be able to shake them a bit), and add toppings if desired (Julia adds chopped ham and herbs).

The third portion of the video (13:37), features Julia preparing omelettes. She uses a 7 inch seasoned cast with high sloping sides and a long handle that only cost $2.50 (in 1964!). Julia cooks both a plain omelette as well as an omelette “gratinee” filled and topped with sauteed mushrooms, smothered in cheese sauce, and topped with grated swiss cheese. In true full fat Julia style, she tops the final dish with a bit of melted butter, and browns under a hot broiler for about a minute.

Julia’s Omelette Tips:

• The best omelettes are made with 2 or 3 eggs, using a cast iron pan.
• Never wash the cast iron pan, simply wipe it out with paper towels.
• Beat the eggs 30 – 40 strokes before cooking.
• Make sure the butter is very hot, when the foam has almost subsided and just before it begins to brown, add the eggs.
• The inside should be custard like and texture when finished, never overcook!
• Flip the finished omelet onto a warm plate.
• For filling options, Julia recommends swiss cheese, spinach, roquefort/blue cheese, asparagus, shrimp, lobster, chicken livers, chopped parsley, or chives
• Never use any liquid fillings or liquid producing fillings such as tomatoes, as your omelet will be “just a mess”.

There is a wonderful online excerpt from Julia’s  “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”,  including omelette recipes and illustrations from Random House here.   We also have a great short video featuring Julia Child’s instructions for the perfect omelette, as well as many other delicious breakfast recipes.