What is your perfect weekend breakfast? What is the breakfast you want when you are indulging yourself? What do you want to eat on those mornings when your have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee-or two and perhaps reading the paper?
Bacon and Eggs for Breakfast
My answer to each of these questions is usually two fried eggs, crispy bacon and toast. Perhaps because it is my favorite breakfast it is what I want to serve to guests as well. This breakfast speaks of home and comfort to me, perhaps because it was our traditional Sunday morning breakfast growing up.
I decided to share how I prepare this basic, but perfect, bacon and eggs breakfast because I've been asked how I do it. This technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year. So, to all my nieces and nephews reading this I say, make your breakfast like this because this is how Nana does it.
The Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast
Three Ingredients for a Great Breakfast
A loaf of your favorite bread
Extra large eggs
Your favorite bacon
There are lots of ways to make bacon and I have tried them all, but I always come back to frying my bacon on the stove top or in an electric frying pan. My mom always used an electric frying pan, but I usually choose the stove top. I like to let my package of bacon sit out on the counter to warm up for 10-15 minutes before trying to separate the slices. It just makes it easier that way. Using a large skillet, mine is non-stick, place the slices of bacon in the pan over medium high heat. You don't want to crowd the bacon slices.
Fry the Bacon until Crisp
Turn the heat down as the bacon starts to sizzle. If your bacon is spattering all over, the heat is too high. Cook your bacon, turning it every couple of minutes until it reaches the crispiness use desire. I like my bacon crisp. Drain the bacon on a plate layered with paper towels.
Nice, Crisp Bacon
Once all the bacon is cooked set it aside. Turn your heat down to medium low. Don't drain the bacon fat. You are going to use it all to fry your eggs. I actually keep a small bowl of bacon fat in my refrigerator to be sure I have enough bacon fat to fry the eggs. You want about 1/4 inch of fat in the pan. I use a slotted spatula to remove the eggs from the pan and then blot each egg with paper towel before putting it on the plate. That way very little of the fat is actually served with the eggs. The temperature of the fat is important. You want it to be hot, but not so hot that the egg sizzles and crisps up around the edges. I mean, I don't want my egg that way, but it's OK if you do. Make your eggs how you want them. That's the beauty of cooking at home.
Eggs Getting Happy
You'll want your toast to be in the slots of your toaster, ready to be started as soon as the eggs go into the frying pan. The eggs should take about 3 minutes from pan to plate. So, when you crack the eggs into the pan you will also want to start the toast. The timing needs to be right if you want your toast hot, with the butter melting into its crunchy top. I like to use a hearty bread for the toast whenever I making my bacon and eggs breakfast like my homemade honey-oat bread toast, but any good store bought brand will work as well. The toast is important to this breakfast, so buy the tastiest one you can find.
The Toast is Ready to Go
Let's get back to the eggs. Crack the eggs into the pan and start the toast. Let the eggs begin to cook for about 30-45 seconds. Then using a large spoon, start to baste the eggs with the bacon fat by scooping the fat over the tops of the eggs. You are not going to flip these eggs. The hot fat is going to cook the top of the eggs. Be careful while you are doing this. That bacon fat is hot! After about 3 minutes the eggs should look done, the whites will be firm and the yolk will look partially cooked.
Scoop the Fat over the Tops of the Eggs
You are ready to plate the eggs. Using a slotted spatula, lift each egg from the pan. Holding a folded paper towel in your left hand (if you are a righty) blot the underside the spatula to absorb any dripping fat and lightly blot the top of the egg. Place the eggs on the plate, sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the buttered toast and bacon...and enjoy.
The Perfect Breakfast
Yes, it is the perfect bacon and egg breakfast. Yum!
Enjoy!
