Pinch My Salt

Food, Recipes, and Photography

Egg in a Nest

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From Egg in a hole, Toad in a Hole and Eggy in a Basket to Hobo Eggs, it seems that everyone calls this breakfast treat by a different name. But from now on I will call it Egg in a Nest thanks to a comment left on my Flickr photo! An egg tucked into a piece of bread and fried? Prior to 2006, I had never heard of such a thing. The first time I saw it was not in a kitchen but inside a movie theater. Actually, it was in a kitchen in the movie. V for Vendetta to be exact. Of course I didn’t realize that it was something that people actually ate in the real world. It looked very odd and I couldn’t figure out how the egg got into the bread! Of course I feel pretty silly now because it’s so simple to make! Thanks to my friend Nicki for the tutorial!

The first time I made this, I used homemade bread and I was able to cut some nice thick slices of bread. The thicker the bread, the smaller the hole needs to be. You can cut the hole with a knife, a small glass, a biscuit cutter, or anything else that you find handy. Or you can just tear a hole out of the center with your hands. It’s up to you, it’s your breakfast! This time around, I used a biscuit cutter to make a fairly large hole because the bread wasn’t very thick. It worked perfectly. I buttered one side of the bread, placed the dry side down in a buttered cast iron skillet, cracked an egg into the hole, sprinkled with a little salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper and let it sizzle away for a few minutes. From here you can do one of two things. When the egg starts to set, you can carefully flip the bread over and cook it to your liking. Or, you can pop the whole pan under the broiler for a minute or two. This time I chose the latter and it worked rather well. I think I’ll stick with the broiler method from now on!

It’s nice to start the day off with a smile so whether you’re cooking for the kids or just tired of another boring breakfast alone, fry up some Eggs in a Nest and have fun!

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Comments

  1. joyce says

    We call them Mexican Sandwiches for some reason. I'm not sure who first showed me how to make them but we enjoy them often, and the piece cut out from the middle is fried beside the rest and is the best tasting bit of all.
    Reply

  4. Haley says

    Eggs in a basket for us too, Connie! Dad used to make these ALL the time for us when we were little. My favorite part was using a glass to cut out the middle, then eating the circle. He would sometimes put a Kraft single on top.
    Reply

  6. amanda says

    nicole, while i didn't learn about these little devils this year, it wasn't too long ago for me. when i was in college i worked (for a very short period of time) at the chain restaurant Cracker Barrel and they had toad in a hole on there menu. This was the first i'd ever heard of it! you know, to this day i've still never tried it, although i don't really know why, considering how much i enjoy fried eggs and toast! again, you've done a fantastic job of making something so simple look so elegant!
    Reply

  9. Pearl says

    I love egg in a hole. You photographed it so well too. Wonder how you got along as far in life as you had without coming across it. :) Love your new header image.
    Reply

  11. aria says

    hi nicole, i love your blog the pics are stunning! i1st i heard if it was in V too. looks so delicious i cant wait to try it a whole bunch of times:)
    Reply

  12. Sister B. says

    Hi Nicole, I've never heard about this before, neither seen it. But I LOVE toast and eggs, and can't wait to try it. Thx a lot!
    Reply

  13. jeannette says

    this is the only breakfast my dad ever makes! i've been eating this since i was little and love every bite of it. on those special days, my dad even covers the whole thing with a slice of thin cheddar. melty goodness!
    Reply

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