4 minute read
Chef Jes Taber Takes Eggs Seriously
BY LAURA PETERSEN
Jes is the founder of “Eye of the Avocado,” providing personal chef and catering services, and has worn many culinary hats since she first began cooking professionally in her 20s. From personal chef to caterer and online cooking instructor, this Egg Queen is known for her mouth-watering, herb-centered and lemon-soaked, simple, rustic fare made with love and driven by health.
Specializing in nourishing dishes, her all-star recipe for a 7-minute egg — “seven minutes to heaven” — is the centerpiece of those legendary sammies that a reporter from LA Weekly drove 455-miles for — from Los Angeles to Nevada City when Jes was managing the soup, salad and small plate menu at Three Forks Bakery and Brewing Company.
“If you can cook a perfect egg, you would understand why I love eggs so much,” says Jes, who regularly buys the highest quality eggs she can find at the Co-op.
In February, Jes taught an online BriarPatch cooking class for a group of pajama-clad students cooking from their home kitchens. The brunch menu included Cream Baked Eggs with toast points, Green Goddess-dressed Bitter Greens mixed with arugula, Billionaire’s Bacon and vegan Quick-Perfect Beans. The class washed it down with Mimosas.
Taber knows food. For years, she lived in San Francisco and the Bay Area working at some of the best eateries the city has to offer - Tartine Bakery, Bi-Rite Market, The Village Market, Blue Bottle Coffee and Terroir Wine Bar, to name a few.
When managing the Terroir Wine Bar her kitchen was limited to a small toaster oven and an induction burner. But those limitations didn’t stop her creativity.
“I always made cream baked eggs because they are literally the best,” says Jes.
Her popup organic breakfast sandwich business featured the “ROYGBIV” — an acronym for the sequence of hues found in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The sandwich is composed of the 7-minute egg, arugula, carrots, melty cheddar, pickled onions, bacon and herb butter on a brioche bun.
Jes grew up in a household of people who like to eat, and feed people. Her dad, photographer and KVMR radio broadcaster John Taber makes a “world-famous” barbecue sauce. Her mom, Tammi, has a knack for pastry and her brother, Aaron is a baker and chef in New York who cut his chops at Grindhaus.
She learned the art of slow food while living and studying in Florence, Italy at the sweet age of 20. With a background in education, Jes enjoys helping folks demystify food and cooking basics.
Learn more and follow her at: eyeoftheavocado.com
Jes Taber’s Recipe for the 7-minute Egg
What’s better than creamy, lava-like egg yolk? In my opinion, nothing. It’s gold-worthy. In the dark ages I would have bartered egg yolk wrapped in paper packages for all sorts of delicious and worthy trade.
I bring you a famous small wonder. The 7-minute egg. It’s the perfect medium boiled egg. And it’s really quite simple.
Start with room temperature eggs.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
If you have chickens, great! Fresh eggs are best. You want room temperature eggs or at least not super cold eggs. If you only have fridge-cold eggs and are in a rush, before doing anything put them in some above-room-temperature water in a bowl.
Fill a saucepan with filtered water and bring to a boil.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
According to how many eggs you want to make, fill a small saucepan with filtered water and bring to a boil.
Use a slotted spoon to gently drop the eggs.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
Once boiling, use a slotted spoon or strainer to gently drop eggs (shell on) into water.
Start a timer for 7 minutes.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
Right before you drop the first egg, start a timer for 7 minutes. USE A TIMER. You don’t want to overcook these gems.
Start in a clockwise fashion.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
Starting in a clockwise fashion, drop the first egg in and then quickly the rest. Once the last egg is in, notice how much time has lapsed. Add that to the final cooking time (usually only 5 - 20 seconds).
Get an ice water bath ready.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
While the eggs are cooking to perfection, get an ice water bath ready in a bowl large enough to fit all desired eggs.
Put your eggs in the ice water bath.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
Once the timer goes off, in the same order that you dropped them in, put your eggs in the ice water bath. Usually it will take the same time to pull them out as it did to put them in (i.e. a perfect 7-minute egg).
After one minute, pull them out and dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
Let them sit for 1 minute and then pull them out and dry them with a clean dry kitchen towel. They will be good at room temperature for several hours or in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Enjoy with a little salt and pepper.
Illustration by Seanan Maher
I like to eat them at room temperature. They will peel easily, cut them with a sharp knife and add a little salt and pepper. Enjoy.
