White House Chef Prepares Toad-in-the-Hole

Toad-in-the-Hole step 1

Is there anyone who is not familiar with this dish?  Today, February 3, 2010, on the Martha Stewart Show, Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass prepared “eggs in the hole.”  True it was with a bunch of kids, but, nevertheless, toads have made it to the White House!

How can you go wrong with an egg, good bread and butter?  Here, then, is the simplest cooked breakfast of them all–the well known (as it turns out) toad-in-the-hole.  My family prepared toad-in-the-hole countless times for a quick morning meal.  In researching the recipe, I discovered its considerable popularity, but I think mine is the most basic of all.  My take on the recipe is to make as little effort as possible while turning out a delicious breakfast.

It goes by many names: bullseye, pirate’s eggs, one-eyed jacks, hole-in-one, egg boat, eggs –in-a-frame, eggs in a basket, frogs on a log, one-eyed pirate, bunny in a basket and powder puff eggs.  Then there is the scene in the movie “Moon Over Miami” (1941) with Betty Grable, Don Ameche and Robert Cummings featuring Betty standing over a stove making “gas house eggs”.  More recently, Martin Crane  makes “eggs in a nest”  for Frasier, title character of the popular sitcom.

Flipped over toad

Ingredients:

1 T butter, divided

One slice bread

One egg

Salt and pepper

The finished toad

Procedure:

Place 2 t butter in a non-stick skillet.  Gently tear a hole in the center of a piece of bread with your fingers.  (No need to dirty a knife or cookie cutter as some recipes call for.)  Place bread on melted butter.  When it begins to toast slightly, turn it over, place one teaspoon butter in hole and break egg into it.  Salt and pepper egg.  As white of egg firms up, carefully turn bread to other side and fry another minute.  Remove to plate while yolk is still runny.  Don’t forget to fry the “hole”, too.  You’ll probably want to make two per person.