Nest eggs are the best eggs.
At Christmastime, some families have egg nog. Mine has nest eggs.
My mom makes Nest Eggs for the family on Christmas morning every year, so they occupy a very special place in my tiny chef's heart.
This down-home delicacy goes by the noms du guerre "Eggs in a Nest" and "Toad in a Hole," the first of which is unnecessarily prolix, and the second of which is something I'd never want to eat, ever, so out of respect for my mother, linguistic efficiency, and, let's be honest, simple propriety, we shall call them Nest Eggs.
Like Lemon Curd Mousse and RTTH on Toast, Nest Eggs are foolproof. They are simply over-easy eggs nestled in grilled bread, but they have a super cute name and that au courant rustic-chic look, too.
You can use any bread and any egg for this dish, e.g., my mom uses whole wheat bread and chicken eggs, and I use brioche and duck eggs (dear lord, I'm a lush). The point is that you're grilling bread and eggs simultaneously, so choose a bread that browns at about the same rate as your egg cooks. Like, don't use thick-sliced pumpernickel and a quail egg — you get me?
Kick your Nesties up a notch with grated cheddar and pepper jelly; blue cheese and pickled nectarines; or Apple Campfires and a drizzle of Hickory Smoked Maple Syrup (both an absolute snap to prepare).
Or eat them like Mom makes, unadorned and awesome — wheat, chicken eggs, salt, pepper — on Xmas morning, alongside a giant mug of coffee, while your Dad gives you and Mom the daily-paper Super Quiz, your older brother sleeps in, and White Christmas plays on the tv.
yours,
aa
"Just Ducky" Nest Eggs with Hickory Smoked Maple Syrup + Apple Campfires
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 2 nests
Recommended pairing: Coffeeeeeeeeeeee
What you’ll need
For the nests
2 duck eggs
2 slices brioche
1 ½ tbsp salted butter
Salt & pepper to taste
For the syrup + campfires
¼ c. maple syrup
2 to 3 drops hickory liquid smoke, depending on how smoky you like it
¼ c. Granny Smith or other tart green apple, julienned
1 tsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
Salt to taste
How to make it
Heat butter in a 10" cast iron skillet over low heat. While butter is heating, prepare your syrup by whisking hickory liquid smoke into maple syrup. Set aside.
Drizzle your julienned apples with orange juice and add a tiny pinch of salt. Stir to coat and set aside.
Using a 2" biscuit cutter, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread. (Or just tear it. We're not fussy.) When butter foams, place bread in the skillet. Crack an egg into each hole, season with salt and pepper, and let it brown, 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula, flip each slice and brown for another 2 ½ to 3 minutes, or until the yolks have reached your desired consistency.
Plate your nests. Build a mini apple campfire on each nest, as pictured above, leaning your apples against one another as though you were a Girl Scout vying for that sweet Camping Skills merit badge. Drizzle with syrup. Feast!
ps. If you're adding cheese to your nests, sprinkle it on top in the last 1 to 2 minutes of cook time so it has a chance to melt. Ditto pepper jelly.
pps. Note that apple campfires would work with any of the flavor combos above, mainly because apple campfires are, quite frankly, too legit to quit.
