The Pioneer Woman Cooks (15 page)

Before I get on with this simple recipe, I must acknowledge that it goes by as many different names as the human beings who eat it. While I insist the proper, official name is “eggin-the-hole,” here are the different incarnations that have cropped up since:

• Egg-in-a-Basket
  
• Chicken-in-a-Basket (flawed logic, but just wait for the next one)
  
• Frog-in-a-Hole (what gives here? Frog? It’s an egg, sirs)
  
• Toad-in-a-Hole (ever hear of warts?)
  
• Egg Basket
  
• Bird’s Nest Egg
  
• Toad Hole
  
• Egg Hole
  
• Pop Eyes
  
• Egg Toast
  
• Private Eyes •
  
• Bird’s Nest Egg-in-a-Hole Basket Toad Chicken Frog
  

• And the list goes on and on. But really? It doesn’t matter what you call it. Just make it! Then eat it! And you too shall know the allure of probably the simplest breakfast dish next to oatmeal.
  

  Sliced bread (such as white, whole wheat, sourdough)ButterLarge eggsSaltBlack pepper
  

  

  1. Begin with a simple piece of sandwich bread: white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel, or homemade. Anything will do! With a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut a hole in the center of the bread.
  

  

  2. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, then place the bread in the skillet and allow it to soak up the butter.
  

  

  3. After 1 minute, crack a large egg into the hole. Hence the name “egg-in-the-hole.” I just love it when things in my life make sense!
  

  

  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. Throw another tablespoon of butter into the pan, just for kicks.
  

  

  5. With a spatula, flip to the other side. Move the bread around in the skillet a bit, allowing it to soak in the butter.
  

  

  6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook on the second side until the egg is the desired doneness. I love the outer edges of the yolk to be barely set, with the center runny.
  

  The beauty of the egg-in-a-hole is that it’s a self-contained meal. No longer do you have to have the egg on one side of the plate and the toast on the other. It’s united into one being.
  

  And that’s a very good thing.
  

  

BASIC BREAKFAST POTATOES

Makes 8 servings

This is one of those basic, unadorned, cowboy-friendly staples of my cooking repertoire that’s so utterly versatile, I just can’t help but love it. Called Breakfast Potatoes by some, Skillet Potatoes by others, they can be enjoyed in their simplest form or dressed up in any number of ways to suit whatever you’re doing. And they’re perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—equally at home beside bacon and eggs or a juicy, grilled rib-eye steak. And they’re totally customizable in terms of seasoning and adornments: add in some garlic if you’re feeling adventurous, or onions and peppers, or even some chopped jalapeños if you’re really looking for trouble. These basic potatoes open up a whole world of possibilities. I just love it when potatoes do that.

One thing I love to do is make up a whole slew of breakfast burritos, adding in these potatoes with the eggs and sausage and cheese and salsa. Gives ’em a real stick-to-your-ribs quality. And sometimes I’ll spoon a nice helping of potatoes into small, individual iron skillets, then top them with a couple of fried eggs—watch a cowboy dig into that sometime. Still other times, I just keep ’em simple, adding in only chopped onion and serving them with bacon, burgers, or steak. And then I sit back and watch them disappear. It usually doesn’t take long.

4 to 5 red or other potatoes1 large onion, cut into large, rough diceVegetable oil for frying Bacon fat (optional)SaltBlack pepper

1. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes, or until fork-tender.