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Look, I'm just as big a fan of cooking projects as the next guy. Spend all day preparing a big pot of soup, roasting a slab of meat, or grilling giant racks of ribs? Sign me up.
But after a long day of work and play, when I get home at 8, 9, or 10 pm, I need dinner—fast. And there's a dinner that's always there for me: the simple fried egg sandwich.
Perfectly toasted bread. A thick swatch of salted butter. Scrambled eggs, black pepper, a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. It's super simple, super delicious—and it's ready in five minutes flat.
How simple are we talking? Really simple. In the time it takes to toast the bread (I do mine in the broiler, but toasters work just fine), you can quickly cook the eggs. No need to whisk them in a bowl first; just crack two into the pan, let them cook slightly, then stir around for the perfect fried-scrambled egg mix that's known around these parts as the framble. Plate the toast, slather on the butter, top with the eggs, and season heavily with salt and pepper.
Sometimes I jazz up the sandwich: recently I picked up a block of aged white cheddar cheese and an heirloom tomato and turned my fried egg habit into a cheesy tomato toast affair. I've also been know to add a few slices of avocado, or tuck in a basil leaf or two when I have it. Often, I cook the eggs in the spicy oil from my Chinese fermented black bean chili sauce. (PSA: If you don't own some, pick up a jar; it's also great stirred into soup, whisked into salad dressing, or mixed into marinade.) But in a pinch, as when the jar is scraped completely dry, good old fashioned olive oil works, too.
The egg sandwich has been many a late night dinner, many a lunchtime snack, and even the occasional weekend treat (with a mimosa on the side, natch). But thankfully, I never get tired of it. If I did, what would I eat for those late-night dinners?
