Daily Loaf

I was so thrilled when I got the email that Creative Loafing was dedicating this week to breakfast. It is my favorite meal. I love everything about it. First of all, I am one of the oft under-appreciated morning person. Frankly, I just don’t understand people who aren’t morning people. A true optimist HAS to be a morning person. I wake up excited about the potential of most days. It is also that time of day where there is tranquility. As the proud parent of a 5 year old, early morning is the only time I can just enjoy a coffee with no interruption.

Setting off to make breakfast after  relaxation time is over is something I look forward to. Our daily lives keep us from having a proper breakfast during the week but on the weekends I love to begin stirring in the kitchen as the sun rises. I have very loose guidelines I like to follow when thinking of breakfast recipes. Simple, because I want to enjoy the rest of the day, is the basic theme. Who wants to fuss for an hour, eat and then have a tremendous mess to clean up? Yes simple is a must. That’s why eggs fried in olive oil is just the perfect way to impress.

The edges of the eggs get a beautiful brown crispness, and the luxurious olive oil perfectly combines with the already rich yolk to ratchet up an already decadent treat. Pairing with creamy parmesan grits again lifts this dish to yet another level. Best part — this breakfast can be made in a few minutes with little effort and easy clean up. Even if you aren’t a morning person, your friends will think you are if you serve this.

Eggs Fried in Olive Oil with Creamy Parmesan Grits

For the grits:

4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Slightly less than 1½ cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup quick-cook grits
6 ounces heavy whipping cream
About half a cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 spring onions (scallions) finely chopped

In a measuring cup add the butter and fill with water to equal 1½ cups. Season the water with salt (about a tablespoon) and a few cranks of pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the grits and turn heat to low. Cover. After just a few minutes the grits are done. Add the cream and stir. Remove completely and keep covered. When plating, place a good-sized dollop of grits in the center of a plate and sprinkle some parmesan cheese and spring onion atop before topping with egg.

For the eggs:

6 eggs
½ cup olive oil (approx.), divided
Salt and pepper to taste

I recommend 1 egg at a time but I imagine 2 would be fine. I also serve this 1 egg per serving but doubling for the heartier appetite should work well also. In a sauté pan add enough olive oil so that when the egg is inserted, the oil will splash over the white shoreline of the egg just a tad (I rather like that visual). For sunny side up, cook for a minute or two depending on the heat. Towards the end, turn the pan slightly to gather the olive oil to one side and gather with a spoon to baste over the egg. A few times should do the trick.

To plate, place atop the parmesan grits and sprinkle with a bit of good kosher salt.

Serves 6

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