Senfeier — eggs in creamy mustard sauce

In a saucepan holding about 3 liters, bring 2000 g water to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep a gentle boil. Carefully lower all 8 size M eggs in with a spoon; they should be covered by water. Cook for about 9–10 minutes from adding them, maintaining a gentle boil. Do not drop the eggs from a height and do not let them knock hard against the base. Weigh the sauce ingredients while the water heats.

Carefully lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and discard the cooking water. Place them in a bowl with 1000 g cold water for about 3–4 minutes so they can be peeled. Discard the water, remove the shells and keep the eggs whole. Eight peeled cooked eggs amount to roughly 400 g of edible egg, depending on their actual size. Set them on a plate and cover while preparing the sauce.

From the weighed 500 g milk, pour 450 g into a pitcher and reserve 50 g in a separate small bowl. Weigh 60 g prepared smooth medium-hot mustard, 4 g sugar, 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. The mustard is a prepared paste containing water and vinegar, not dry mustard seed. Do not add separate vinegar, cream, stock or extra milk.

In a saucepan holding about 2 liters, melt all 30 g butter over medium-low heat. Add all 30 g flour and whisk vigorously for about 1–2 minutes. It should form a smooth pale mixture with small bubbles and no dry lumps. Do not brown it: the aim is a mild pale base, not a dark sauce.

Pour in the 450 g milk from the pitcher in several additions, whisking constantly. Add the first portions slowly, smoothing the thick mixture thoroughly before adding more. Scrape sauce from the base and corners of the saucepan too. Once all 450 g has been added, the base should be smooth. Do not add separate dry flour to the milk, as it would form lumps.

Bring the milk base to a gentle boil while stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 6–8 minutes, stirring often from the bottom, until smooth and no longer tasting of raw flour. It should coat the back of a spoon but still flow in a wide ribbon. Avoid hard boiling and sticking; keep the reserved 50 g milk for the next step.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add all 60 g mustard, the remaining 50 g milk and all the sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Return to low heat for about 1–2 minutes, stirring, to warm it again. Do not bring to a vigorous boil after adding mustard. All 500 g milk must be used in the sauce.

Place all 8 peeled eggs in the warm sauce. Warm over the lowest heat for about 2–3 minutes, turning gently with a spoon to coat and heat them through. Do not boil them vigorously and do not break them up with a whisk. If the sauce starts bubbling hard, remove the saucepan from the burner. Do not add another portion of liquid and do not add any butter.

Lift out the eggs with a spoon and cut each in half lengthwise. For each of the 4 servings, allow 4 halves, meaning 2 whole eggs, and a quarter of all the sauce. Scrape the saucepan so no butter or mustard intended for serving is left behind. Serve immediately without unmeasured herbs or other garnish. Potatoes, bread and other accompaniments are not part of this recipe.

Transfer leftovers to a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep covered for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring the sauce and turning the eggs carefully, until hot throughout. The milk sauce thickens after chilling; warm it patiently without hard boiling and without adding unmeasured milk or fat.