I find myself watching less and less of the food television channels, principally because two of my foundational programs, Good Eats and the Two Fat Ladies, are off the air on hiatus. Networks do play their perennially-popular programs for years, but they give them a break from time to time.
Today I watched an old Paula Deen program as she made ridiculously-sweet dishes such as French toast made with croissants, which she combined with super-sugary Bananas Foster (and poured the pan syrup over the French Toast). To this she added side dishes! This is how Paula gave herself Diabetes, and it almost hurt to watch her go through it.
Generally, food television is going south. The recipes that the cooks are putting out feature twice as many ingredients as needed, just for the sake of it, and sugar is everywhere. It used to be "trendy" but now it is totally over the top.
For that reason I thought that Deen's husband Michael was a breath of fresh air when he prepared what he refers to as One-Eyed Sailors. This dish is also known as Toad in the Hole, and English term for a remarkably good dish. So I decided to share Toad in the Hole with you, because if you make weekend brunches or full cooked breakfasts, you are going to make this soon.
Toad in the Hole involves punching a hole in a slice of bread, and of course that gives us a chance to get out our cookie cutters. Heart-shaped cutouts will give a sweet feeling to breakfast of course; the only caveat is that you must cut out a hole big enough to drop an egg in. So now: instructions.
TOAD IN THE HOLE
Ingredients:
One slice of organic bread per person
One organic large egg per person
Organic butter or olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste.
Make a cutout hole in the center of each piece of bread. You will be cooking an egg in it.
Put a large skillet or grill over medium heat. When it has heated fully, melt the butter or place a small amount of oil over the surface.
Place the slices of bread on the skillet or grill. Break one egg into the center hole of each slice. Wait until the egg white has cooked before you turn it to avoid having the egg run.
While the main attraction is going on, you can also pan-toast the bread cutouts and serve them like toast, to be buttered and spread with jam or jelly.
When the egg is done and the bread is toasted, remove each slice to a plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with side dishes and coffee for an interesting breakfast.
It cannot have escaped your notice that this coming weekend is the time to get a shamrock cookie cutter if you don't have one that is small enough to make this dish truly seasonal...
Irish seasonal things are all over just now, so you should be able to find one at Walmart or Bed, Bath & Beyond in Tucson. I will be heading uptown from where I live (near the Tucson International Airport) looking for Spelt flour at Sprouts or wherever I can find it.
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