Frogs in a Hole

“How’d you get that hole in there?” is usually the question I hear when I make this dish.  “Magic!” is always my answer.  (But between you and me, it’s usual a biscuit cutter or an upside-down glass).

An old friend of mine introduced me to frogs in a hole years ago.  His parents used to make the dish for him as a kid, and it’s one of those childhood dishes that you just keep making as an adult.  Partially because it’s so freaking entertaining, but mostly because it’s so clearly delicious.

The first time I had frogs in a hole, I wasn’t very impressed (I hadn’t actually eaten it yet). “What’s the difference between frogs in a hole and regular eggs and toast? It just seems like a lot of work to me.”  Clearly, the foodie in me was a bit of a cynic.  But, the second I tried it, I did a clear, 180! Frogs in a hole are more than just yummy buttery toasted bread with eggs in the cut-out centers, but the perfect combination of egg-to-bread ratio that can be as flavorful as you like (I use Tony’s, fresh pepper, and Italian seasoning when I prepare it).  Plus, it’s not that hard to make either.

Follow the directions below for easy to follow instructions on this classic bread-and-egg twist.

Frogs in a Hole

This recipe comes from nowhere in particular (as it was taught to me by a friend), but there are resources online that explain how to make frogs in a hole.  Although I like to make mine with hardy, yummy Seeduction Bread from Whole Foods, Tyler Florence has an interesting spin with bacon and white bread (see here).

Ingredients:

* 2 eggs
* 2 slices bread, seeduction, french, or other white or whole grain bread
* 2-3 tablespoons butter
* seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, tony’s, herbs, etc.

Devices Needed:

* 1 biscuit cutter, or upside down glass for pressing a hole

1.) Begin by cutting out the holes in each slice of toast.  If you have a biscuit cutter handy, feel free to use that.  Otherwise, you can use an upside-down glass that’ll cut a circle out of the bread; however, make sure the glass rim isn’t so wide that it breaks through the crust.  We’re looking for a perfect circle in the center, please.  Cut out the hole by pressing into the center of the bread the same way you would if cutting out cookies.

2.) Reserve circular rounds and butter both sides of the bread AND the circular rounds.

3.) Heat a large skillet on medium and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in it.  When pan is moderately hot, add bread and bread rounds and allow to toast for 1 minute.

4.) Crack egg inside already toasting bread.  It’s okay if the egg whites run out a little, or are somewhat too big for the hole (I actually prefer the texture results from when this happens).  However, if the yolk won’t fit in the hole…well…we have a problem.  Crack an egg in both slices of bread.

5.) Season eggs with your personal preference of salt/pepper/tony’s/herbs.  Allow egg to cook until it’s about 85% done to where you want it.  If you’re cooking eggs over-medium (my personal preference), then cook to almost 85% over-medium and get ready to flip.

6.) Using a metal spatula (they work best with this step), carefully flip the frogs in a hole upside down so that you can toast the egg and toast on the other side.  Also flip your toasting rounds.  Season egg and cook for another minute or two (depending on how long you want the egg to be cooked), and remove from heat.  Plate and serve.  Makes 2 frogs in a hole, or 1 serving (2 servings if you’re eating 1 frog in a hole each).

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