Eggs In a Basket

Among the majority of expats in Shanghai, brunches are usually spent outside the home as it is more convenient to access a wider range of Western brunch dishes. A big group brunch at a home on a weekend and on a budget means something has to be cooked up with a few cheap ingredients in ample time. The first idea that came to mind was eggs in a basket. Pancakes or French toast would have been a nice thought, but maple syrup is overpriced and sold primarily in expat-oriented stores. Using an oven was out of the picture considering it is a rarity in China. In Shanghai, eggs, butter, and bread are readily and cheaply available, so something involving those three ingredients meant eggs in a basket would be the brunch contribution.

After toasting the bread in butter in a pan, the egg is cracked into the hole and cooked until the whites are no longer raw, but the yolk is still runny. This takes about 7-10 minutes per serving. It seemed even longer as the egg cooked from the bottom up and you have to be careful about not turning up the heat too high, which would burn the bottom of the bread and egg. Most things do tend to taste better heavily browned and not charred. With one pan, one burner, many people cooking, and more people, it was only possible to make one egg in a basket at a time. Something had to be done to speed up the process. The idea to cover the pan while the egg was cooking came to mind and tested. After a few minutes, the whites were cooked all the way through and the egg was still runny. Success! This process only took half of the original cooking time. Just be mindful to remove the egg in a basket immediately after the whites are done because the convection heat created by using the lid will cause the yolks to solidify as well.

The resulting egg in a basket is buttery and nicely browned. A simple, delicious start to the day!

Eggs In A Basket (serves 2)
2 bread slices
2 eggs
4-6 Tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper to taste

Using a biscuit cutter or other sharp, round object, cut a hole in the center of the bread slice about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. On the stove, heat the pan to medium. Put 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in the pan to melt. Swirl butter to cover the bottom of the pan and immediately put the bread slice and its hole until golden brown, about a minute and a half. Remove the half-toasted bread and melt another tablespoon to tablespoon and a half of butter in the pan. Put the uncooked side of the bread down to lightly brown. Immediately turn the heat down to low and crack the egg in the "basket" or hole. Cover the pan and wait about 3-4 minutes until the egg whites have cooked all the way through. If you prefer your yolks more cooked, leave on the burner for a bit longer. By this point, the bottom of the toast and egg is also nicely browned and can be removed from the pan. Sprinkle coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper over the egg. Repeat with second egg and slice.