Truffled Farm Eggs baked with White Beans

recipe from Chef Kathryn Yeomans
serves 6

Ingredients
½ pound small white beans
a small bay leaf, preferably fresh
6 sage leaves
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thickly sliced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the gratin dishes
6 farm eggs
Springwater Farm truffle salt
freshly ground black pepper
black or white Oregon truffles
New-harvest olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil
a loaf of crusty bread (optional) and homemade truffle butter (also optional)

Steps

1. Rinse the beans and soak them overnight.
2. Drain the soaked beans, and put them in a 3-qt. pot with the herbs, garlic and oil. Add fresh cold water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Cook, partially covered, for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are cooked through but not mushy. When the beans are tender, remove them from the heat, remove the cover, and let them rest for 10 minutes. Then season with salt (about ½ to 1 tsp.) and allow them to cool in the pot for at least half an hour so that the flavors can marry. The beans can be made ahead, and will keep, refrigerated with their liquid for 2-3 days.
3. Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 6 small gratin dishes. Warm the beans in a pot over the stove. When they are hot, add a spoonful of beans with their liquid to each gratin dish. Crack an egg into each dish, season the egg with truffle salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place in the oven. The gratin dishes can be placed on a baking sheet, if desired, to make it easier to take them out of the oven. Bake the dishes until the eggs are set to desired doneness, or slightly under (the hot beans and dishes will add a couple minutes of “carry-over” cooking to the eggs).
4. Shave a generous amount of black or white truffle over each egg, and drizzle with new-harvest olive oil. A garnish, such as chopped fresh chives, may be added if desired. Serve to your guests with additional truffle salt and black pepper, and a slice of crusty bread with truffle butter.

Truffle Butter
To an amount of good quality sweet butter, add as many chopped truffles as you wish and season with truffle salt. For more information on making truffle butter, or about truffles, inquire at the Springwater Farm booth.