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Make-ahead roulade makes for a merry Christmas morning

Think of a roulade as a big edible cigar-shaped container for just about any filling of your choice. Almost like an edible Christmas present!

Even the roll itself is versatile and can be made from any number of ingredients. Savory roulades — the term means “to roll” in French — can be made from beef, chicken or turkey. Sweet roulades — such as American jelly rolls and French buche de Noel — can be made from cake. The latter, a yule log frosted with chocolate bark, is reserved for Christmas.

And that's how I think of this egg roulade, which wraps a souffle-like sheet of baked egg around a savory filling of prosciutto, spinach and cheese. It's special for breakfast for Christmas morning, a way of making a spongy and elegant omelet for eight people. It's delicious and practical. Not only does one recipe feed a crowd (rather than making separate omelets), it also can be partly prepped ahead of time.

To make it a day ahead, just bake off the egg wrapper as directed, then store it overnight in the refrigerator. Fifteen minutes before serving, you just stuff it, roll it, and pop it in the oven. You also can freeze the cooked wrapper, covering it first in plastic, then in foil. Just defrost in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.

To make the egg wrapper, you start with a bechamel (thickened milk) base leavened with beaten egg whites. It's sort of like a thin rectangular souffle, though a roulade is far less delicate than a souffle (which is good since you will be handling and rolling it). Just make sure your baking sheet is well buttered and floured.

The only tricky part about making a roulade is getting it to roll evenly around your chosen fillings. After the egg wrapping is baked and cooled, a damp towel is used to help roll it around the fillings. The towel serves the same purpose as the reed mat used to form sushi rolls; it helps to lift up the wrapping completely and uniformly and to roll it tightly.

If the wrapping has been chilled overnight or frozen and defrosted, it needs to be heated slightly. Put the wrapping, parchment side down, back in the rimmed sheet pan, then place the pan over two stovetop burners on low heat for just a couple minutes. This will warm up the bottom of the wrapping and enable you to peel off the parchment.

As for the filling, almost anything will do, though my preference is to always include cheese. Cheese not only boasts great flavor and texture, it also is gluey enough to keep the filling ingredients in place in the center of the roll. But whichever fillings you choose, make sure to cook them first to get rid of any excess water. Raw spinach or mushrooms, for example, would make a very wet filling.

Once you're done, you may find the eggs and some good times rolling in equal measure. Merry Christmas!

• Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television's “Sara's Weeknight Meals” and has written three cookbooks, including “Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners.”

Egg Roulade Stuffed with Proscuitto, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper

Cheese is a must-add roulade filling in Sara Moulton's book. She says the eggy "wrapper" can be made the day before you plan to serve it. Associated Press
Parchment paper, a reed sushi mat or a clean kitchen towel can aid in rolling a savory roulade. Associated Press photos
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