‘Alice’s Egg Spoon’ is a hand-forged iron spoon perfectly calibrated for frying an egg in the fireplace or over a gas flame. In 2004, when Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters read William Rubel’s The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking, she asked a blacksmith friend to make a spoon to cook an egg in the coals. This piece is modeled after that original spoon, but crafted by blacksmith Shawn Lovell according to Alice’s honed specifications. Based in Alameda, California, Shawn’s career in metal- working has spanned more than two decades. She invests her handcrafted ironworks with great attention to detail and emphasis on joinery, texture and finish so that each creation is sure to become a family heirloom.
Egg in a spoon recipe: Crack an egg into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stovetop: Turn your burner to medium, grease your egg spoon with olive oil and pour in the egg. Hold just above the flame until the whites have cooked through (about 3 mins). Remove from heat and use a smaller spoon to loosen and flip the egg to crisp the top briefly, then slide onto a piece of garlic toast. Fire: Build a wood fire. When you have smoldering coals and glowing logs, arrange them to create a kind of oven, throwing heat from all sides. Grease the egg spoon with olive oil, pour in the egg, and position in the fire until the egg is puffed up and browned.
