Grilled Egg in a Hat Breakfast Sandwich

 

If you are a Vegetarian or a Vegan, you might want to look away now.  What follows isn't going to be pretty for you, however tasty it might seem to the rest of us. Sorry about that!

 

When I was a child I used to love it when my mom made us Egg in a Hat  (or Egg in a Hole) for breakfast.  It was a real treat.  A lovely runny egg, cooked into a piece of golden brown buttery toast.  Oh boy was it ever yummy.

 

I've been thinking about that sandwich all week long and pondering how I could make it even better . .  . in a way that has never been done before.  I think I might have cracked it! (No pun intended! Seriously!)

  

As you know at the weekend I like to pull out the stops a bit and give Todd (my husband) a bit of a treat for breakfast on at least one of the mornings.  When I first moved over here we would pop into town and go to one of the shops and have a fry up at their cafe.  We haven't done that in a long time now.

 

Grilled cheese sandwiches are something which we are quite fond of  . . .  we are also quite fond of bacon sandwiches . . .  a really rare treat . . .

 

Today I have combined our favourite grilled cheese . . .  using a really good strong cheddar, sliced (no plastic cheese here) . . .

 

with some grilled back bacon . . .  you could use streaky . . .  its up to you.  I have been using the nitrate-free, free range bacon from the people at Naked Bacon.  So its not quite as bad for you as regular bacon.

 

Add to that a perfectly cooked large free range rspca approved egg with a runny yolk, cooked "in a hat" style  . . .  with that crisp buttery hat perched on top . . .

 

And I do believe you have a pretty darned near perfect breakfast sandwich! 

 

I did use a good whole wheat bread . . .  and I always use real butter . . . 

 

Todd thought he had died and gone to heaven  . . .  he is a cheddar man all the way  . . .

 

 We like brown sauce with ours  . . .  some people like ketchup  . . . we are brown sauce people . . .

 

That egg was perfectly cooked  . . .  not too runny, but just enough of a gorgeous rich goo to sink your teeth into with pleasure  . . . 

 

Likewise the cheese  . . .  melted just perfectly  . . .  along with that salty bacon and that crisp buttery bread  . . .  which is kind of like fried bread when you really think about it.

  

It went down a real treat, let me tell you  . . .  a REAL treat!

Grilled Egg in a Hat Breakfast Sandwich

Yield: 1

Author: Marie Rayner

Egg in a hole, a fried egg, fried into a hold cut in a slice of bread, sandwiched together with some grilled bacon and cheddar cheese and another slice of bread, toasted in a skillet until golden brown all over. Quantities and instructions are given for only one sandwich. If you want more, multiply everything by the numbers you want. Its really only possible to make one at a time anyways. This is a knife and a fork sandwich.

ingredients:

• 2 slices of your favourite bread (pick a sturdy one)
• 1 large free range egg
• salt and black pepper
• 4 slices of grilled streaky bacon, or two sliced of grilled back bacon
• 1  1/2 slices of strong cheddar cheese
• softened butter for spreading

instructions:

How to cook Grilled Egg in a Hat Breakfast Sandwich

1. Make sure you have your bacon all grilled before you begin, and your cheese sliced. (I sometimes buy strong cheddar already cut in slices and that is what I used today.)
2. Butter one slice of bread on both sides and one slice of bread on one side only..  Cut a shape out of one that has been buttered on both sides with a cookie cutter.  Today I used a flower.  A heart is nice and so is a circle. Just go with your own inspiration.  
3. Place the piece of bread with the cut out into a large skillet, placed over moderate heat.  Drop a tiny knob of butter into the centre of it.  Crack your egg into the hole as soon as the butter begins to foam.  Cook until set on the bottom.  Add the cutout to the pan over on the side so that you can toast that also.  Flip the toast with the egg in the centre over and cook just until you have the egg done to your liking. (We like them a bit runny.)  Season to taste with some salt and black pepper.  Remove and keep warm for a few minutes, while put in the other piece of bread.  Flip over the cutout. (I hope you've been keeping an eye on it. If it is done, take it out and keep it warm)
4. Add the other slice of bread, buttered side down to the skillet.  Top with the cheese and then the bacon.  Finally pop on the egg bread, egg side down.  Cook and toast over moderate heat until the cheese melts and the sandwich is heated through. Pop that little toasty cut out on top and serve to one very lucky person.  We like brown sauce with ours.

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

I largely abstained from this myself  . . .  I don't need the extra calories in all truth.  I did have a tiny nibble from the edge.  Todd didn't mind.  He is used to eating food that has been sitting long enough to have photos taken of it, and nibbles missing.  LOL  Such is the life of the husband of a food writer!  Happy Mother's Day to all you North American ladies out there!  I hope you are treated really special today.  You deserve it.

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Crispy Tortilla Eggs

 

At the weekend I like to cook the man something a bit heftier for his breakfast rather than his usual Oats or Wheatabix.  I've never had him complain. 

 

When I first moved over here we used to pop into Chester often on a Saturday morning and treat ourselves to an all-day breakfast . . . .

 

Bacon, sausage  . . .  eggs any way you wanted them . . .  grilled tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms  . . .  hash browns, black pudding (only if you liked it) and beautiful crisp fried bread . . . oh, I so loved the fried bread. 

  

Thick  slices of white bread that's been fried in fat until crisp . . . oh, it is sooo good. 

 

They closed down the local BHS a few years back, so no more Saturday breakfasts . . .  Oh, I know we could get one easily somewhere else, but there was just something about the BHS, and they were the only ones I knew that served fried bread.

 

I'll tell you something however  . . .  those full breakfasts don't hold a patch to these Crispy Tortilla Eggs!  They are phenomenal! 

 

Buttery crisp tortilla topped with a fried egg and cheese  . . . and garnishes . . .

 

You start off by frying the egg . . . .  just until the white is opaque, season it and flip the egg over . . .  carefully so the yolk doesn't break. 

 

I only ever use large free range organic eggs, and if they are RSPCA approved so much the better.  I refuse to support an industry that is in-humane if I can help it.

 

Once you have flipped the egg, quickly sprinkle it with a tablespoon of cheese and a 6 inch tortilla . . .

 

Leave it until the cheese melts and helps the tortilla to stick to the egg and then carefully flip it over so you can fry that tortilla in the pan drippings  . . . it only takes about a minute for it to get lovely and crisp. 

 

Crisp and buttery  . . .  after that you turn the heat out, top with a bit more cheese and pop on a lid so that the cheese can melt. 

 

Slide that baby onto a heated plate and top with some hot sauce and spring onions  . . . I like to use a combination of Sriracha sauce and green Tabasco.  Just a drizzle of each . . .

  

Fabulously tasty . . .  FABULOUSLY!!

Yield: 1Author: Marie Rayner

Crispy Tortilla Eggs

You can make as many or as few of these as you want.  Simple ingredients put together in a spectacular way.  NOM NOM!

ingredients:

• 1 tsp butter
• 1 large free range egg
• 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
• 2 TBS grated cheddar or Jack cheese
• 1 (15cm) flour tortilla (6 inch)

Toppings:

• chopped spring onions
• hot sauce (I used Sriracha and Green Tabasco)

instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over moderate heat.  Crack in the egg.  Sprinkle with the seasoning salt.  Cook until the whites are set.  Carefully flip over.  Sprinkle with 1 TBS cheese.  Immediately top with the tortilla.  Cook until the cheese melts (won't take long).  Carefully flip back over until the egg is on top and the tortilla is on the bottom. Cook for about a minute. Sprinkle on the remaining TBS cheese.  Remove from the heat and pop on a lid.  Leave til the cheese melts. 
2. Slide onto a heated plate and top with some hot sauce and the spring onions.  Serve immediately.

NOTES:

Note - I like these with a softly cooked egg, but if your family prefers them firmer, just let the egg cook for a bit longer.

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

These are so, so, SO good.  I had planned on only making one for Todd, but it was so delicious, I ended up eating it and then had to make him another one.  I know.  Me <====== willpower.  

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Three Fruit Crumble

  

I am determined this year to use all of the pears from our pear tree.  I struggle with this each year.  We have a Conference Pear Tree, (Bosc Pears) and they are not the best pears for eating. (Lesson learnt.)  They are however great pears for cooking with, so bring on your crumbles, cakes and pies! 

 

Our landlord brought us a big bag of cooking apples yesterday and I looked at the pears that Todd had picked and the apples and thought, crumble . . .  and then I thought why not add blackberries.  But I had only a handful of blackberries, so threw in some frozen cranberries I had to make up the difference.  But you can use either all blackberries or all cranberries if you wish.

 

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love a crumble . . .  not quite a pie, not a cake . . . fruity and sweet and topped with a nutty/buttery/crispy/crumbly topping.

 

I love to make crumbles. There is no faffing about with rolling out crusts or beating together batters . . . you just prepare your fruit, pop it into a baking dish . . .

 

Rub together a few ingredients . . .  flour, butter, sugar, oats, nuts, etc.  . . .  scatter them over top and then bake! 

 

Until the fruit is soft and jammy . . .

 

And the topping is golden brown. If you find your topping browning before your fruit is ready, cover it lightly with some aluminium foil. 

 

Let it sit for a bit . . .  you don't want anyone burning their mouth, and then spoon it out into bowls for eating  . . .

 

There is rather a lot with this one, so make sure you have plenty of people around to help you heat it, either that or prepare it in two bakes, and freeze one for later. (Without baking it, just wrap well and pop it into the freeze. Thaw completely prior to baking as below.)

 

Todd loves cream or custard poured over his  . . .  I prefer ice cream  . . .

 

Although cream is also very, very good  . . .

 

and what is ice cream, but  . . .  frozen custard.

 

Todd managed to scarf down two bowls of this on the day  . . .  and another big bowl the day after. 

  

In fact, I think he would have it for breakfast if he could . . .

 

Yield: 6 to 8Author: Marie Rayner

Three Fruit Crumble

prep time: 20 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 65 mins

This delicious crumble makes use of three kinds of fruit. Don't be tempted to do the crumble mixture in a food processor. You will loose the rough texture that makes crumbles so fabulously crunchy and crumbly!

ingredients:

175g self raising flour (1 1/4 cup)

75g butter (5 1/2 TBS))

25g oats (1/3 cup)

100g demerara sugar (1/2 cup, turbinado)

600g ripe pears (1 1/3 pound)

650g cooking apples (1 1/2 pound)

100g cranberries or other berries (1 cup)

2 to 3 TBS sugar or to taste

a handful of flaked almonds

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.  Have a baking tray upon which you have laid out  a large shallow baking dish.

Measure
 the flour into a bowl.  Cut the butter into bits and drop in. Rub in
with your fingertips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Stir in
the oats and demerara sugar.  Set aside.

Peel
and core the pears and apples. Slice thinly into a bowl. Toss in the
berries and the sugar. Toss all together to coat and them pour into the
prepared baking dish.  Scatter the crumble topping over top of all.
Don't press it down, you don't want it compact.

Bake
 in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with the almonds, then
return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until golden
 brown and crisp in places.  Serve warm with either cream, ice cream, or
 custard for pouring over top.

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

Crumbles speak Autumn to me  . . .  not quite there yet, I know  . . .  but only a few more days to go. This is a lovely one. Bon Appetit!

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