by Carrie
I think I'm actually a little bit late to notice this trend (Bon Appetit discussed it in 2009, eek) but I keep noticing the addition of (usually fried, but poached, too) eggs on top of food these days. Two of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen and 30 Bucks A Week, do it all the time, and fried eggs are also a normal burrito or enchilada topper here in NM.
Latkes with an egg on top courtesy of Cosmopolla.com
Now, don't get me wrong. I love eggs of all types. I especially love fried eggs, both the sunny-side up and over-easy varieties, but fried eggs on pizza? Eggs on salad? An egg on a burger? I don't know. I'm not against it, but it's something I'm a little wary of. I've always been of the school that eggs cooked in certain ways are for breakfast or brunch only, except for those "breakfast for dinner" occasions. Throwing an egg on top of something is certainly a good (and low-cost) protein boost, of course, which I'm always highly in favor of. I guess I just better try it and see how I feel. I do have a hunch I'll like it, at least on some foods (egg on pasta? I don't know.)
So what do you think? Am I just super late to this egg-on-top party or what? Is this amazing and I'm totally missing out? Do you put eggs on top of other food on a regular basis?
A couple of egg-on-top recipes I'm wanting to try:
Weekday Chilaquiles With An Egg On Top
Some of my most favorite meals include eggs…one in particular that sticks out for me was a pasta carbonara (traditionally tossed with egg yolk) that was nested in a bowl with a perfect, yellow egg yolk in the center that you were to pop open and mix in at the very last minute. Mind-blowingly good (bacon was involved). This followed a sautéed, oyster mushroom appetizer that included a fried egg and crispy potato ‘sticks’. Yes, I know I sometimes overdo it with the eggs but I just can’t help myself – especially on vacation! I also had a really good ‘breakfast burger’ –that included a fried egg and bacon. It’s is in my top 5 burgers of all time. If you are a fan of fried or sunny side up eggs then you should definitely give it a try!
Posted by: Valerie | June 01, 2011 at 02:07 PM
um...egg on pasta has been around forever...it's called carbonara. You crack a raw egg over the freshly-cooked hot pasta, and it coats everything and is cooked by the heat of the pasta. It doesn't taste egg-y, just tastes like yummy pasta sauce!
My fav Thai restaurant puts an over-easy fried egg on top of their house special fried rice, and it is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten, especially with a tiny bit of sriracha! You break the yolk and mix it all in with the rice. Delish!
That said, I feel similarly about fruit with savory food - to me, fruit is to be eaten on its own or with desserts, and I only like a few places where it's added to main course foods. Strawberry spinach salad is good, and some moroccan cous cous with stuff like dates and cranberries and golden raisins, but that's about it for me. So while I am an egg lover at any meal, I sympathize with your aversion!
Posted by: Meredith K A | June 01, 2011 at 02:18 PM
I had been skeptical of the egg-on-top trend too, despite my love of eggs and carbonara. Last summer, I spent a month in Europe, mostly in the French/Swiss/Italian Alps. Due to my poor French, I wound up eating all sorts of unexpected things, which once included a calzone with an egg baked in (imagine my surprise when I cut into that and yellow egg yolk came oozing out) and an over-easy egg on top of a pizza. Both of those surprises turned out to be delicious. I learned how to spot the oeuf dishes on the menu, so I could get them on purpose. YUM!
Posted by: Lindsay | June 02, 2011 at 01:14 AM
My husband's favorite burger is one with an egg on it. He regularly gets it at Red Robin.
I totally LOVE balsamic fried egg sandwiches :)
Posted by: Jessica | June 02, 2011 at 09:15 AM
I love a fried egg on a burger. I've never tried it on pizza but NOW I WANT TO.
Damn Vegan Summer.
Posted by: Jennie | June 02, 2011 at 12:10 PM
I used to be suspicious as well, but as I guess you noticed, I have converted. I love fried eggs on a lot of things. I think my favorite, weirdly, is caramelized or fried onions. Let me know how you like the chilaquiles if you make them!
Posted by: Laura | February 12, 2012 at 01:47 AM