What is it about fried eggs? They’re like a completely different animal from scrambled eggs or omelettes. There’s something about the barely cooked yolk breaking all over whatever else is on your plate that’s so satisfying.
When I was younger, my father used to mesmerize me by pretending the yolks of his fried eggs were eyes, and he would poke them and scream as I watched in disgusted admiration, standing by my old scrambled eggs, just this side of dry.
I’ve seen the error of my ways: even my scrambled eggs are barely cooked now. But my favorite? Fried, with some sort of starch to soak up the yolk. For my father, it was a fork-split English muffin, and I’ll go the Thomas’ route every once in awhile, but the best option is my mother’s home fries. She used to fry them up on random winter mornings before school: one onion for every potato, and one potato for every person. Fried the onions soft in olive oil and butter, adding the starchy potatoes, paprika for color, and salt and pepper. She’d wait until they stuck to the bottom with all the starch and sugar before flipping them, so every potato developed a dark, sweet crust. I made myself some of these potatoes, and then just as they finished, I moved them aside and fried my egg right alongside. When the yolk broke as I plated, I didn’t even mind.
I’ve actually been eating my fried eggs over sourdough toast recently. Also good over soft, buttery polenta. People think I’m weird, but after a long day night at job #2, all I want is a fried egg over toast and a beer. Disgusting, maybe, but satisfying.
I feel just the same about fried eggs, and maybe double about poached eggs. I lived for a couple yrs in Dublin and NO ONE does a great, big ol’ breakfast like them. Fried eggs, yolk warm and soupy, a couple pieces of rashers, blood sausage (black AND white), roasted tomato and/or mushrooms, good Irish brown bread w. good Irish butter, a dollop of this amazing tomato chutney stuff called Country Relish, and a cuppa tea with milk — heaven!
Alternately, there’s the fried eggs on potato waffled with beans. At first I was agag — but after a good 18 months, I began to LOVE this meal.
I’m so glad you like my blog! Do you bake? I’m hosting the Big Bundt Appreciation Bake-off next week — you should participate! Winner gets a choice of my homemade apple butter or balsamic ketchup — and the ILLUSTRIOUS title of Big Bundt Champ!
Fried eggs are the King of Breakfast! And your photo has gotten me into the mood for them.
(Dropped by after seeing your post about blogs at serious eats. Look forward to getting to know your blog.)
Jen: Eggs over polenta sound amazing… and I like breakfast for dinner a lot more than I like breakfast for breakfast. Pancakes and fried eggs at 8 at night? Sounds good to me…
Nora: Sounds incredible! I got to know potato waffles when I was in Wales… I want some shipped to me! With beans and melted Red Leicester… so good…
I do bake, but I don’t have a bundt pan. However, I may need to go in search of one for a bake-off…
Ann: Thanks for the lovely comment! I hope to see you around often.
Hey,
I’m so glad you found my blog, because I was able to find yours in return.
Personally, I love my fried egg encircled in toast. Toad ‘n’ ahole . . . so good, so simple. As a child, I combined toad ‘n’ a hole with grilled cheese . . . the good things you do before learning about “fat,” “cholesterol,” and getting “all of your calories in one sitting.” Le sigh.