When poaching eggs for a crowd, we've found the baking pan method below to be almost foolproof. Have a friend help you wrap the eggs in salmon before they get cold. If you're working on your own, you may want to simply drape the salmon over the eggs.

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr

For sauce
1/2cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 ripe California avocados
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 individual brioches, each cut horizontally into 3 (1/2-inch-thick) rounds and lightly toasted
1/4 lb sorrel or arugula, coarse stems discarded
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
16 large eggs
1 lb thinly sliced smoked salmon
Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make sauce:

Whisk together sour cream and lemon juice. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. (If necessary, add water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, for a thick yet spoonable consistency.) Stir in chives, tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste.

Prepare brioches for serving:

Soak onion in cold water to cover 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Halve and peel avocados and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then sprinkle slices with lemon juice. Put 2 brioche toasts on each of 8 plates and season with salt and pepper. Arrange a few sorrel leaves on each toast, then top with avocado and onion.

Poach eggs:

Fill a well-buttered 17- by 11- by 2-inch flameproof baking pan with 1 1/4 inches water and stir in vinegar (to help whites coagulate faster). Set pan to straddle 2 burners and bring water to a simmer.

Break 1 egg into a cup and slide into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, adding them in rows so you can easily take them out in same order. Poach eggs at a bare simmer 3 to 4 minutes, or until whites are firm but yolks are still runny. Transfer eggs as cooked with a slotted spoon to kitchen towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.

Wrap each egg in a slice of salmon. Put a wrapped egg on top of each toast and drizzle sauce over salmon.