An unexpected but delicious use for hard-cooked eggs that, of course, can be made in advance. If you have fish stock, poach the fish in it, but if you don’t, don’t worry about it. Serve this with plain boiled potatoes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 extra-large eggs

　　1 cup good-quality stock, any kind

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillets of red snapper, grouper, sea bass, or any other firm fish

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　2 tablespoons fresh or sour cream, optional

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the eggs in a small saucepan, add water to cover, and turn the heat to high. When the water boils, cover the pan, turn off the heat, and set a timer for 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, set up the steamer; don’t start steaming the fish, though, until the eggs are done.) When the eggs are done, cool them under cold running water, then peel and chop.

　　

Step 2

Put the stock in the bottom of a tight-lidded steamer and the fish above it. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Bring the stock to a boil and adjust the heat so that it continues to bubble, but not violently. The fish will cook through in 5 to 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

While the fish is steaming, put the butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium. When its foam subsides and it begins to turn brown, add the chopped eggs and some salt and pepper.When the fish is done, lay it on a plate and thin the egg sauce with about 1/ 4 cup of the stock. Stir in the cream if you’re using it, taste and adjust the seasoning, and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.