Egg in the basket
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An egg in the basket, or egg (or eggs) in a basket, is a fried egg cooked within the confines of a piece of toast whose center has been removed.
Preparation typically begins by cutting a circular hole in the center of a piece of bread with a cookie cutter or upside down glass (or simply pinching out a half-dollar sized hole). The bread is then fried in a pan with butter, margarine or cooking oil. When browned satisfactorily, the egg is cracked into the "basket" cut into the toast. The egg is then fried to the desired consistency. When eaten, the bread and egg yolk mix readily, giving this egg dish its special quality.
Alternate recipes, for those preparing this simple dish and do not have access to a stove, call for the bread and egg to be microwaved. Some people will say that cooking this egg recipe is easier than cooking eggs alone, because the bread adds stability if the cook wishes to flip the egg. Some people put the cut-out circle of bread back on the finished toast and egg, adding a type of "lid" to the "basket". Others will break the yolk within the "basket" while it is frying, in order to let the bread more evenly absorb the flavor. It is commonly served with ketchup, jam, or cheese.
Other names
There are many different names for this dish. It is also known as "eggs in the middle", a "hole in the wall", a "spit in the eye," an "egg in a hole," and, inaccurately enough, "egg with a hole in the middle". They are also known as "bullseye eggs" because they appear to have three rings; one ring made by the bread, one by the egg white, and one by the yolk. In North America, this dish is frequently referred to as "Toad in the hole", not to be confused with the British dish of the same name.
Other names include: "cowboy eggs," "egg in toast," "eggs in a blanket," "egg in a hat," "egg in a well," "eggs in a frame," "eggs in a nest," "bird in the nest," "eggy toast," "gas house eggs," "gasthaus eggs," "hole in one," "one-eyed jacks," "popeye eggs," "rocky mountain eggs," "wes-egg," "Egyptian fish eye,", "peekaboo toast," and "egg in the window."
The meal also appeared in the film V for Vendetta and Moonstruck with several recipes for the dish have been named "Moonstruck Eggs".
See also
References
- Netcooks.com recipe This recipe cites the dish as originating from Canada
- Recipezaar.com recipe
- Mr. Breakfast recipe
- Quarter Life Crisis recipe