Breakfast · Eggs · Recipes
BySam
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I thought a simple but revolutionary recipe idea was how I would kick-off 2021. It’s also the first recipe I’ve shot in my new house and my new studio. Clawing my way back into work mode after what seems like a long holiday break has been a little hard this year. The end of 2020 was gruelling for me with my house move and hectic work schedule. Now tougher lockdown restrictions have created uncertainty and flung us back into more isolated days. Sometimes it’s good just to start, and these eggs fried in cream with bay and sage recipe felt like a gentle and comforting way to do just that.
Whilst immersed in the food internet as I normally am I stumbled upon this concept of frying eggs in cream on Food 52. The notion of unctuous egg whites merging with the silky cream that caramelizes on the bottom was impossible to resist.
Eggs are a magical ingredient to me and I was excited to try this technique. Cream replaces butter in this sublimely simple method that I will use in the future when I feel like giving my fried eggs a culinary hug.
You can add any other breakfast bits that you choose, and I wanted to give these creamy eggs a hit of sage and bay. You can do one or the other or neither.
I first fried a few sage leaves until they frizzled in the nutty brown butter and then set them aside. I used a few small ones but honestly can you even have enough crispy sage leaves? I suggest at least three per egg and the brown butter can be drizzled over the eggs or your toast or both, made preferably from a good loaf of sourdough.
The bay infuses quickly and gently in the cream as it cooks the eggs and I love the flavour it added. A sprinkle of grated Parmesan at the end was an afterthought but rather a delicious addition. Next time I’ll add it to the cream at the beginning so it cooks in with the eggs. This is of course entirely optional. I’m thinking that crispy bacon or pancetta or even anchovies snuck into this would be delicious.
Other egg recipes you might also like:
Eggs fried in feta and chilli crisp oil
My best egg recipes
*Cooks notes – I used 3 eggs in my 22cm pan but could probably have stretched it to 4. Use a nonstick pan as this makes getting the eggs out a lot easier.
Recipe for 1 person – adapt as required
Adapted from Food 52 recipe from Ideas in Food caramelised cream eggs
Eggs fried in cream with sage & bay recipe
A delicious and super easy recipe to revolutionise frying your eggs with a crispy brown butter-fried sage and bay
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter approximately
- 6 sage leaves
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 – 2 small bay leaves
- 2 – 3 Tbsp of cream go for full fat or double and enough to coat the bottom of the pan
- Grated Parmesan optional added to the cream in the pan or afterwards
Instructions
Heat the butter in a small pan until bubbling and then add the sage leaves. Cook until they are crispy then remove and set aside. Keep the butter.
Coat the bottom of a nonstick pan with cream. You want a fairly thin layer (about 2 – 4 tablespoons for a small pan). Season the cream with either salt or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and add the bay leaves.
Break the eggs in a small ramekin or bowl to ensure you don’t break the yolks and then slide these into the cold pan with cream. Put the pan over medium-high heat to start the cooking process. The cream will bubble up and boil quickly and the butterfat will separate. When the whites look like they may be set, take the pan off the heat and pop a lid on top. If you don’t have a lid use a baking tray. Allow to carry over cooking for a minute or two. This all goes very quickly and it's about getting the balance right between keeping the egg yolks runny (if you like them like that) but the whites to be firm. Cook according to your preference.
Drizzle the brown butter over your toast or your eggs and scatter the fried sage leaves and parmesan. Season to taste and enjoy remembering to remove the bay leaves.
Author: Sam Linsell
