I’ve been on an egg kick as of late.  Actually, am on a bit of a duck egg kick.  Have been experimenting with different ways to prepare eggs.  Eggs can be tricky to get “just right”; a minute too long and they’re overcooked, a minute too short and they’re undercooked.  Practice and repetition make perfect (or nearly perfect).  Last week I prepared poached eggs; this week, am revisiting the soft-boiled egg preparation.  And next, have a quick and easy method, my 30-second egg, for shirred eggs (with tarragon).  But for now, back to the soft-boiled egg.

A few weeks ago, I prepared soft-boiled eggs with anchovies, crostini-style.  Set the timer for exactly 6 1/2 minutes, dropped my eggs into boiling water, and hoped for the best (see the tasty results here).  Today, I wanted to experiment with a slightly shorter cooking time.  Was seeking a more runny yolk to set atop a creamy polenta.  With a cooking time of 5 1/2 minutes, you can see that the whites are completely set, and the yolks runny.

I’ve prepared a creamy goat’s cheese polenta, topped with a mixed herb pesto, as a canvas for my soft-boiled egg.  Was happy to find early-spring green garlic, which I quickly snatched up, this past weekend at the farmers’ market.  Sauteed the young garlic in a little olive oil and sprinkled over the finished polenta.

Polenta comes from cornmeal, which is simply a coarse flour of maize (or field corn).  This particular cornmeal hails from Anson Mills, and was milled from an Italian heirloom red trentino flint that was, until recently, nearly extinct, even in Italy.  Anson Mills Rustic Polenta Integrale shows bright flecks of crimson bran, and features pronounced mineral components along with a lingering sweetness on the palate.

Whether using heirloom cornmeal or not, what you want to look for when shopping for any type of cornmeal are the words “stone-ground.”  Stone-ground indicates that the hull and the oil-rich germ of the kernel are still attached.  Degerminated cornmeal means that the hull and germ have been removed.  As opposed to instant polenta, cooking stone-ground cornmeal requires considerably more love and attention.  You must stir the polenta frequently, for a good hour or so until the grains become soft.  While much more labor intensive than instant polenta, the differences in flavor and texture are quite notable.

Used a mixture of [Thai] basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and oregano in the pesto.  However, you could  easily play around with other herb combinations.