Food writer and cookbook author Michael Ruhlman recently stopped by Food52 HQ to talk to us about his latest book, Egg -- which we're currently selling, signed, on Provisions. We thought it only fitting that he show us his favorite way to cook one of our kitchens' most versatile ingredients.
Today, he's explaining how to make his beloved Broken-Yolk Fried Egg Sandwich -- we suggest you make one for breakfast this weekend.
My father taught me this sandwich when I was in fifth grade, and it was so good that I continued to make it throughout my youth. To this day, I often make it for a quick Saturday lunch. And now I include my son James, who loves it too.
One of the pleasures of this preparation is that it turns what would otherwise be a mistake -- a broken yolk -- into an advantage. It also results in its own unique flavor, completely different from both scrambled eggs and a fried egg. I always serve it on soft white bread with a generous smear of Hellmann's mayo. Use a non-stick pan for this if you have one -- it makes the egg easier to flip.
Weekend Broken-Yolk Fried Egg Sandwich
Serves 1 hurried father, mother, or fifth grader
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs, cracked into a bowl, yolks poked once to break them
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mayonnaise
2 pieces soft sandwich bread
Put a pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-low heat and allow it to get hot, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and allow it to melt completely. As the water cooks out of it, it will froth.
When the frothing seems to be at its peak, pour in the eggs and give the pan an immediate shake to prevent the eggs from sticking. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Flip the eggs and cook until the white is just set, about 1 minute more. Meanwhile, spread as much or as little mayonnaise on the sandwich bread as you wish.
When the eggs are done, pour them out onto the bread, folding them over so that the eggs don't fop over the edges of the bread.
Cover the eggs with the other piece of bread and eat with a glass of milk. I usually eat there next to the stove; I don't even use a plate.
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Tell us: What does your favorite egg sandwich look like?
Photos by James Ransom
Written by: Michael Ruhlman
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41 Comments
I made one a broken yolk fried sandwich just last weekend. I put it on this bread, very thinly sliced:
http://food52.com/recipes/4022-buttermilk-oatmeal-bread one slice smeared with a sharp, coarse (whole seed) mustard, along with a half dozen razor-thin slivers of good salume and a couple tablespoons of grated asiago. (The egg always goes on the slice not spread with mustard, to get the buttery egg taste into the bread.) I put the sandwich on a panini press until a crispy medium brown, then ate it out on my deck, slowly, in awe of how something so simple can be so satisfying, no matter how many times one makes it. But I agree, too, that the white bread + mayo + broken yolk fried egg sandwich is a wonderful treat. ;o) P.S. I'm looking forward to getting your new book! Would appreciate data that I could take to my cardiologist, who takes a rather dim view of my enthusiasm (love affair, really) with eggs.
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