Thursday, May 13, 2010

Fried Eggs with Sage, Chile, and Garlicky Yogurt

Have you seen the book My Favorite Ingredients? I saw it mentioned a few times here and there, and then when I finally had a look at a copy of it, I had to bring it home. The book is by Skye Gyngell, and she is the head chef at London’s Petersham Nurseries Cafe. She describes her cooking as produce driven in that she takes inspiration from what is at its freshest and what flavors would complement that ingredient best. Her intention is to not interfere with the ingredients too much, to let them taste of themselves. That results in recipes that are very doable and very delicious when made with produce at the peak of its season. Each chapter in the book focuses on one ingredient, and it is shown in several different types of dishes. In the asparagus chapter, there’s a beautiful dish involving a tomato dressing and creme fraiche, one simply prepared with ginger and garlic, and a gratin of white asparagus. I’m really looking forward to cherry season, because the chapter about cherries has a cherry cordial and brandied cherries I want to try. There are chapters for tomatoes, nuts, fish and shellfish, vinegar, apples, cheese, and more. I currently have six pages marked, and those are just the recipes with ingredients that are in season right now. The dish you see here today is from the garlic chapter, and I had locally-grown garlic to use from my CSA. It was minced and then mixed with yogurt to make a tangy, flavorful sauce for a spicy, fried egg.

First, the yogurt was mixed with the minced garlic and salt and pepper, and that was left to sit so the flavors could mingle a bit. Next, butter was browned with a few sage leaves in it, and I used leaves from my new sage plants in my garden. When I read this recipe with browned butter with sage and garlic yogurt, I knew this was going to be good. The browned butter was used to fry the eggs, I used some beauties from a local farm, and sliced red chiles were added as well. To serve, a dollop of garlic yogurt was placed on the plate, the egg and some chile slices were added, and that was topped with the sage leaves and a little drizzle of brown butter.

This couldn’t have been simpler, and the flavors couldn’t have been more right. Rich, nutty, brown butter with earthy, herby sage and cool, savory, garlicky yogurt all to accompany a nicely fried egg with a hint of chile heat was, well, a pretty good breakfast to say the least. I’ll probably be mentioning this book a lot, and since I’m eyeing the crab cakes with corn puree and chili oil as I type this, that just might appear next.


35 comments:

  1. Sage in egg, that is a great combo!

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  2. A refined way of preparing fried eggs! Great vflavors!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. This is awesome. I am going to look for that book and try to recreate this. I love the flavours, and I love everything egg!

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  4. I can't believe this, but I have never fried an egg. Poached, scrambled, hard-boiled - yes. But never fried. If I do, it's going to be this way! I hadn't heard of that book, must go seek it out.

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  5. Wow, breakfast can be so much fun if I have fried egg like this. Love the fried sage.

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  6. I'm currently obsessed with fried eggs. Adding this to my to-make list.

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  7. Agreed about the sage and egg combination. All a fried egg needs is a little salt and pepper, so once you dress him up with other things, he's ready to sing!

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  8. this recipe was posted in the independent in the uk a few years ago when my husband was in london and has become a total breakfast staple. it is incredible! i love putting the leftover sage butter on a bit of toast too.

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  9. Mmmmm....Anything to jazz up an egg is a plus in my book.

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  10. I think that has to be just about the prettiest photo of an egg I've seen in ages! It makes you want to go right to the kitchen and try your recipe!
    (I have a link to your blog on my posting today!)

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  11. Terrific idea - always looking for inventive ways to spice up eggs - this is a must try!

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  12. O that does look like a perfect breakfast. I had not heard about the book before; will definitely try and locate it to have a peek!

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  13. sage browned butter will hereby make an appearance on my dining room table in some way, shape, or form--it sounds awesome! i always enjoy a bright, sunny yolk of egg, and the bed of garlic-happy yogurt sounds like a great touch!

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  14. I really love the concept of this cookbook...choosing some favorite ingredients and then building whole chapters around them. What a great idea!

    The sage browned butter sounds so delicious. perfect for these eggs.

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  15. I like the idea of garlicky yogurt....and the whole dish just sounds very flavorful :)

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  16. This sounds so delicious. I still have half a container of yogurt in the fridge and wasnt' sure how best to finish it up. So glad I find this recipe from you.

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  17. I love all the components of this dish. This sounds like a great book!

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  18. Nice idea!
    Thank you for this fried egg variation.

    Greetings from Germany.

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  19. It's breakfast time and I am 'jonsing' for those eggs! Granted, you can have them anytime of the day, but I'd give anything to have them now. They look and sound amazing, Lisa! You always have such great recipes.

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  20. I want to have this for breakfast today! Loving this recipe! :)

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  21. Looked wvery sexy indeed, the egg!

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  22. You're the second or third person that's raved about yogurt with fried eggs. Normally, I'd be skeptical about the two together. But now, well, heck, I'm definitely going to have to give it a go. ;)

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  23. This is a great healthy breakfast recipe. Besides of being delicious and elegant, it provides you with the necessary complete proteins your body needs to be at it's best while taking benefits from the calcium and all the super powers of garlic and sage. Just serve it on a fresh baby green bed and you have a delicious AND nutritious way to start your day.

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  24. That looks like a fabulous book, and you chose a great recipe to make, super droolworthy photos!

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  25. I love Skye's books...I don't think I own this one (I'm not sure, I have too many books!). In any case eggs and brown butter - what could be better?

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  26. Hello Lisa; This quick recipe must be delicious; another great idea for fried eggs, which I love. Have a good day!

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  27. i'm looking forward to hearing about the crab cakes

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  28. do you think this would work with olive oil? I'm not a big butter fan. I think the sage and oil would go well together.
    Greetings from Gibraltar,
    Brian

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  29. Brian: The flavor of brown butter with sage is lovely, but if you prefer olive oil, it would definitely work. Sage and olive oil are a great pair too.

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  30. If I had this for breakfast, I know I'd have a great day. What a treat, and what a wonderful combination of flavors.

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  31. This looks so pretty and delicious! I love eggs for all meals! Mmm. Egg.

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  32. I love fried eggs, but I've never seen one served in such a beautiful way. It's a great idea to use sage because it's so flavourful.

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  33. Mmm....love this. I love this type of shiny top eggs. I can eat 4 at one time :D

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