When cooking, it's often about mixing simple things with something special, and that's exactly what this recipe does. It's called 'Bird's Nest with Poached Egg and Truffle Cream'. It not only looks beautiful but tastes fantastic too. The nest is made from a special dough called kataifi, which you wrap around a pastry ring and then bake in the oven until it's crispy. You can usually find kataifi at most wholesalers and sometimes even in regular supermarkets. Then comes the egg, poached until it's soft and creamy, and the truffle cream, which adds a really luxurious touch to the flavor. Never poached an egg before? Click here, here we explain step by step how to do this.


Bird's nest with poached egg

What's kataifi?

Kataifi is a type of dough commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It consists of long, thin strands of unleavened dough, similar to vermicelli. The dough is made from wheat flour, water, and a small amount of oil or butter. Kataifi is often used to add delicate and crispy texture to both sweet and savory dishes. For example, it's used in desserts like baklava, but also in savory dishes like the bird's nest in this recipe.


A Bird's Nest with poached egg and truffle cream is ideal if you want to serve a tasty but easy starter during a fancy dinner. It looks fancy, but it's actually quite simple to make. If you have the right ingredients and pay a little attention to the details, you will surprise your guests with something very tasty that is not complicated.

Bird nest with poached egg

Bird's nest with poached egg and truffle cream

Cooking time 35 minutes
Course intermediate course, starter
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 4 iron pastry rings with a diameter of approximately 5 cmOr 1, but then you have to bake the kataifi alternatingly.
  • Mixing bowlto mix the kataifi and melted butter together
  • baking paper
  • Baking tray for in the ovento bake the kataifi on
  • Piping bag or bottleto fill in the truffle cream
  • Small panto melt the butter
  • Panto poach the eggs
  • Frying panto fry the mushrooms

Ingredients
  

  • 4 really fresh eggs You can always buy some extra in case one fails
  • 150 gram small chestnut mushrooms sliced into small pieces
  • Nice herbs or flowers to garnish with, this completes the dish! For example, marigolds, finely chopped parsley, or watercress.
  • Dash white vinegar to add to your water for poaching the eggs.
  • Pepper and salt to taste
  • Dash extra virgin olive oil
  • 140 gram kataifi Thawed, at room temperature
  • 80 gram butter
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Truffe crème

  • 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tablespoon truffle tapenade
  • 2 teaspoons truffle oil
  • Pepper and salt to taste

Instructions
 

Bake kataifi

  • Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius
  • Melt the butter together with the oregano in a pan over low heat.
  • Mix the oregano butter with the kataifi.
  • Using your greasy hands, grease the outside of the pastry rings.
  • Place the pastry rings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Form the kataifi around the pastry ring. Try to keep the kataifi as airy as possible. This will give a nicer end result later on.
  • Bake them for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown. This varies per oven. Make sure they are nice and crispy.
  • Let them cool down a little.

Truffe crème

  • Mix all the ingredients together until combined and season the cream with pepper and salt.
  • Fill this in a piping bag or squeeze bottle.

Poach the eggs and fry the chestnut mushrooms.

  • Put a pan of water with a dash of white vinegar in it.
  • Heat it up to just below boiling point.
  • Cut the chestnut mushrooms into small pieces.
  • Crack the eggs, one at a time, into coffee cups.
  • Add the eggs to the water and poach them for about 3 minutes. Want to know more about how to poach eggs? Click here!
  • Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon or ladle and place them in a bowl of lukewarm water to keep them warm. Be careful that the water is not too hot, as it can overcook the eggs!
  • Quickly fry the chestnut mushrooms over high heat in a pan with some oil or butter.

Presentation of the dish

  • Place the bird's nest (the baked kataifi) in the center of a nice plate.
  • Carefully place the egg in between with a spoon. Sprinkle some pepper and coarse sea salt (or fleur de sel) over the egg.
  • Make beautiful dots of the truffle cream in various places.
  • Place the mushrooms playfully in various spots.
  • Drizzle a small dash of olive oil over the eggs.
  • Finish the dish off by placing some nice flowers or herbs on it playfully.