Egg-in-a-Hole With Asparagus
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 servings
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 5large eggs
- ⅓cup whole milk
- ¼cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2wide slices sturdy country white bread, such as sourdough or peasant bread (preferably from the middle of the loaf)
- 8ounces asparagus, trimmed
- 3scallions, thinly sliced
- 3fresh thyme sprigs
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
591 calories; 40 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a rimmed sheet pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Step 2
In a large, shallow dish, whisk together 1 egg, milk, ¼ cup Parmesan, a large pinch of salt and pepper, and the remaining tablespoon melted butter. Add bread and let soak for about 2 minutes per side. The bread should be soft and soaked through, but not falling apart.
- Step 3
Arrange soaked bread on one side of the prepared sheet pan. Pour any remaining soaking mixture from bowl onto the bread slices. Using a cookie cutter or a knife, carefully cut 2 (2½-inch) holes in each slice of soaked bread, making 4 holes in total. Place the cut-out rounds alongside the bread slices on the pan.
- Step 4
On the other side of the sheet pan, add the asparagus, half of the scallions (save the rest for garnish), thyme and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, tossing well, and spread into an even single layer.
- Step 5
Bake until bread is golden on top, 10 minutes. If the asparagus is tender and browned after 10 minutes, use tongs to transfer the stalks to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Thick asparagus may need more time, in which case leave it in the pan for the next step.
- Step 6
Using a spatula, flip the bread slices and cut-outs. Crack the remaining 4 eggs into the holes (the eggs may overflow a bit, and that is OK). Season eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan on top of eggs and bread.
- Step 7
Return pan to the oven and bake until eggs are barely set, about 5 to 7 minutes. The yolks and even some of the whites should jiggle slightly. (Note that the eggs will continue to cook on the sheet pan once out of the oven, so if you like runny yolks, err on the side of early removal.) However, if the egg whites are still translucent, bake for another minute or two.
- Step 8
To serve, place egg toasts on plates, top each toast with half the asparagus (discarding the thyme sprigs) and garnish with reserved scallions.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
mjan
Cover a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper, and then "grease" it with olive oil or butter. Makes clean up a breeze and gets the same results.
lbswink
I think I would par boil the asparagus. I never seem to have much luck with simply putting them in the oven. They are a bit crunchier than I like--but that's just me...
Todd
I've been making a version of this for years. I suggest using a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Add a generous amount of olive oil to the hot pan, place hole-y bread, crack in egg, grate fresh parm over, flip when melted, parm the other side. remove when eggs are fully set. You will have a wonderful, slightly browned, parm crust and velvety eggs.
Mary from Terry, MS
I don't like crunchy asparagus, either. My trick is to place the asparagus on top of a piece of aluminum foil, positioned so that I can fold a couple of inches of foil over the asparagus tips to prevent them from charring while the uncovered stalks continue to cook till tender.
Jonathan Frishtick
At Camp Wel-Met, we called it Rocky Mountain Toast. Best made in a big frying pan over a bed of coals after sleeping out under the stars, in a lean-to we made.
April in MT
Terrific recipe, loved it for the oven vs stovetop. I used parchment on baking sheet and skipped the butter. Might add some next time for flavor. Used leftover kalamata bread. Essentially no clean up. Will be a go to recipe for hosting many for brunch.
Joe
I've made Nigella's toast a few times on the stove top using a non-stick pan, and it worked fine. Firing up the oven for just toast and eggs seems like using a fire hose to wash a dish. I'm sure this would work fine on the stove top and use a lot less energy.
Andie
We called ‘em Wyatt eggs, ‘cause that’s the name of the woman who taught my mom to make them. Cut the center out of the bread with a juice glass. Butter both sides of bread and “hole”, place all in hot skillet, put egg in cutout, and fry, flipping once. If the yolk breaks, so much the better, but if it doesn’t, lots of good dipping!
Melissa
As a resident of Gulf Coast Texas, it is incomprehensible to me to turn my oven on to 425 as the temperature outside approaches 100. I'm guessing this yummy recipe could easily be adapted to the stove-top. I've been eating sauteed aparagus with fried eggs all this spring, so why not add savory french toast to that same big skillet?
John Golden
A lot of work and an OK DISH for a light supper. Great concept, which I found ho-hum. I used the best ingredients: farm eggs, just picked local asparagus and bread from a great bread bakery. I’m not sure what I’ve had done instead except not to make it again.
Brandi
I abhor runny eggs. I don’t begrudge anyone else their preference, but the thought of putting uncooked egg in my mouth makes me gag. They don’t have to be cremated, just cooked through. Any suggestions on timing for getting the eggs completely cooked? I’d really like to try this & I know hubs would dig it.
Dee
I look forward to trying this new spin on a family favourite - we call them “toad in the hole” in this part of Canada. I will likely use a smaller piece of the loaf and have a single egg per slice because I like to flip the egg. To cut the hole I use any glass or cup that fits the day’s bread shape - its bread you don’t need a fancy cutter!
LaJo
I used a crusty rosemary bread for this - perfect!
mart
Loved this recipe for a brunch! Made it as described on rice with soft poached egg.
Veronica
Or you can make softboiled eggs and save yourself the hassel. Very cold eggs, a boiling pot of water and 7:30-8:00 mins will give you a nice runny center with a firm egg white. And they peel super easy
Louise Purfield-Coak
I used Dave's Killer Bread. It is a multi grain and multi seed bread. It only had room for one hole. Otherwise I stuck to the recipe. I used the upper middle rack in my oven, and it got slightly scorched at the edges. I also timed the later step with egg at six minutes. The eggs were way overcooked. The yolks was hard even though I immediately removed each piece of bread from the sheet pan. Next time I will set my oven for a slightly lower temp. and take it out at 3 minutes. The flavor was good.
MGRemus
We call them "bull's eyes" and would never use an oven. A frying pan works great with asparagus cooked on the side. On the other hand, why the asparagus?
Susan
I make, love Asparagus on Toast - Toast (yummy egg challah from LA Bakery), Roasted Asparagus (just olive oil), Pierre Franey's Asparagus w/Sieved Egg recipe (the sieved egg part), delicious!
Chef Pierre
Or simply butter the bread slices, cut out the hole, place them & some butter in a skillet, break eggs into the holes, flip when brown - is delicious w/o all the extra effort...
NJ baker
Brunch for one: While reading this recipe I had some roasted asparagus to use up and two pieces of country white bread. And was hungry. Funny how that happens. Sprinkled thyme on the asparagus and reheated it in toaster oven on foil it had been wrapped in while making the rest in an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan using a little butter and a little olive oil. Could have fit 2 eggs in each slice of bread, but used one each, cutting the holes with a small juice glass. Tight fit, but it worked. Nice!
JeanieDiva
There's a wonderful scene near the end of the movie "Moonstruck" when Olympia Dukakis and Cher are having breakfast and they make a version of this recipe. I remember seeing it and thinking "Gee, other people do this, too!" (: )
Talv
Amazing recipe. 25 minutes and you can serve an upscale breakfast. It should go without saying, but high quality bread and parmesan will make or break the recipe. Use a cookie cutter to give a custom shape to the basket hole like a pumpkin or maple leaf. I had no problem with crunchy asparagus. I actually had to take my asparagus out before the ten minutes were up. Remember to lay out the asparagus in a single layer.
paul
The second time we made this, reduced richness/fat a bit, great result. Butter - wiped 2tsp onto half the sheet pan with a paper towel, none in the egg batter. Milk - low-fat is fine. Parm - enough in the egg batter, didn’t use the 2tbs extra. Asparagus: to our taste, thicker asparagus is good here, totally fine with 16 minutes at 425F Cooking time: 6 minutes on the eggs wasn’t hard boiled, but mostly set. Will check at 4:30 next time.
i swag, i cook
Easy and hearty and good
Greg
Alas, no Parmesan in the fridge! How did that happen? Gruyere was OK substitute. Good Sunday brunch.
Cynthia Painter
I have done similar takes on the egg-in-a-hole concept, some of them mentioned here, but I had never done anything like this French-toastie-deliciousness version. Nicely done. I will keep this for the next brunch crowd I have. I cooked it 6 minutes, thinking they weren’t quite done, but next time I’ll leave it at 5 because I like the yolks runnier than 6 min version.
Ben
I put some bacon on another sheet pan, it cooked in roughly the same time as everything else. All together it makes a great brunch!
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