Salmon Wrapped Poached Eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make sauce: Whisk together sour cream and lemon juice. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. (If necessary, add water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, for a thick yet spoonable consistency.) Stir in chives, tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste.
Prepare brioches for serving: Soak onion in cold water to cover 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Halve and peel avocados and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then sprinkle slices with lemon juice. Put 2 brioche toasts on each of 8 plates and season with salt and pepper. Arrange a few sorrel leaves on each toast, then top with avocado and onion.

Poach eggs: Fill a well-buttered 17- by 11- by 2-inch flameproof baking pan with 1 1/4 inches water and stir in vinegar (to help whites coagulate faster). Set pan to straddle 2 burners and bring water to a simmer.

Break 1 egg into a cup and slide into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, adding them in rows so you can easily take them out in same order. Poach eggs at a bare simmer 3 to 4 minutes, or until whites are firm but yolks are still runny. Transfer eggs as cooked with a slotted spoon to kitchen towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.

Wrap each egg in a slice of salmon. Put a wrapped egg on top of each toast and drizzle sauce over salmon.

Cooks' notes

• If you can't get individual brioches, you can use a brioche or challah loaf. Cut 16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices and halve them diagonally.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr
Servings: Makes 8 servings.