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Egg in a Nest

December 18, 2006 by Nicole 121 Comments

egg-in-a-nest.jpg

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. misslionheart says

    December 19, 2006 at 10:15 pm

    I don't like eggs, but will make it for my four children! :lol:
    Reply
  2. Thomas says

    December 20, 2006 at 1:28 pm

    Helping prepare my first Christmas meal. Any suggestions?
    Reply
  3. Jason says

    December 20, 2006 at 8:01 pm

    Oddly enough, my mom made me one of those last time I visited. She didnt have a name for it, but she had never made it before. At least not while I lived at home. My dad likes it too, but since he can't eat them a lot because of his heart, he has to wait until I visit so mom will make them. Poor guy. Also, I forgot to ask for one of those "damn sandwiches."
    Reply
  4. bea at La tartine gourmande says

    December 20, 2006 at 8:12 pm

    I would totally love this!
    Reply
  5. sarah says

    December 20, 2006 at 11:22 pm

    Toad in the Hole is sausages in yorkshire pudding to me (and most brits I think). I first saw this on V for vendetta too :D I wonder if I can eat it though, since I can't eat egg whites (I generally separate and poach the yolks). I bet the yolks'd spread out just fine in a smaller hole :)
    Reply
  6. Bethany says

    December 21, 2006 at 12:04 am

    Nicole, My childhood name for them was Egg on Toast. I guess it's pretty descriptive and simple, but it stuck for me. Thanks for the reminder of an old favorite, we'll have to do it again soon. p.s. the cheesecake looks appetizing, but I really loved that photo of tomatoes you used to have as your header! Thanks for a great site that I keep coming back to.
    Reply
  7. Rebekka says

    December 21, 2006 at 5:07 pm

    Your blogs's so cute. Love it!
    Reply
  8. janet says

    December 21, 2006 at 7:33 pm

    Never tried this till I saw your post. It turned out well. We live off grid so hate to use the toaster, big energy sucker. This solves my toast dilemma nicely.
    Reply
  9. Ruby says

    December 22, 2006 at 6:04 am

    I love your sights new look Nicole, wonderfully festive! :)
    Reply
  10. elle says

    December 22, 2006 at 7:00 am

    this was my dad's specialty as well-it brings back many good memories especially since he died last year...i make this for my kids now and we renamed it pookie...i don't know why. My kids love this.
    Reply
  11. Amanda P says

    December 22, 2006 at 4:58 pm

    This may sound like a silly question but do you have to use a cast iron skillet? I went through a phase where all I cooked with was cast iron then I threw them all away! I was so stupid when I was younger because I wish I had them back! This looks very tasty and my Husband would love to eat these on the weekend!
    Reply
  12. Sandi @ the WhistleStop Cafe says

    December 24, 2006 at 8:07 pm

    Threw away an old cast iron skillet ? :0 Skillet Abuse is punishable in Alabama. We called them nest eggs growing up...haven't had one in years. Sounds yummy!
    Reply
  13. Cyndi says

    December 28, 2006 at 12:46 am

    We always called them "Eye of Zeus" although I have no idea where that name came from!
    Reply
  14. experienceaurie says

    December 28, 2006 at 5:07 pm

    That looks so tasty!
    Reply
  15. Scott says

    December 29, 2006 at 2:44 am

    me too - first time in the same movie - I mean! Just a nice (yummy) spin on eggs and toast - plus you can munch the bread round while you wait!
    Reply
  16. Charyene says

    December 30, 2006 at 9:20 am

    It looks so tasty!!! Gonna try it the next morning!
    Reply
  17. Kath says

    December 31, 2006 at 4:06 am

    We called them 'Egg in a Hat'. Lovely blog you have here :-)
    Reply
  18. Madeline says

    January 9, 2007 at 9:26 am

    Rachael Ray calls them Birds in a Nest and I have categorized them in my Beyond My Skill Level category of recipes. There's just something about it that I can't seem to do correctly! Next time I will plop my computer on the counter and follow your instructions. Maybe if I just read it a different way....
    Reply
  19. Carl says

    January 9, 2007 at 9:36 pm

    Thank you, thank you! I had completely forgotten about these things (Toad in a hole, where I came from) The cook used to make 'em for us, working on the boats up in Alaska. Home away from home comfort food. I will revive them for my daughter!
    Reply
  20. Nicki says

    January 10, 2007 at 11:09 pm

    Nicole, Congratulations for being such a brilliant blogger/photographer/chef/rad chick! I'm so proud of you and I love the elegance of your blog. Hurray!!
    Reply
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