My new hobby, over the past couple weeks, is watching romantic comedies. I’m shamelessly into my newly acquired pastime, too. I have long since burned through the ones, that I adore, like “About a Boy”(I bought that particular one on DVD from a thrift store for $3 and then got home and the box was empty–so I ended up renting it), “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, and my all-time favorite–“About Time.” After all the greats were done and watched, I even went on to discover a few new ones on suggestion from others (“It’s Complicated” and “Defending Your Life”–both Meryl Streep movies.)
Now though, I have basically been reduced to be in a competition with myself to see how crappy of a rom com I can watch and exactly how much of it I can get through. Bonus points are awarded if I manage to cry during an atrociously scripted scene. Two weekends ago, I got knocked out in the first round by “Good Luck Chuck” (starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba)–I only made it 12 minutes through before turning it off. But then I redeemed my failure in round two by managing to shed a tear during the final scene of “Maid in Manhattan.”
The egg dish featured in today’s post was enjoyed this past, beautifully cloudy, early Sunday morning during a 6:30am re-watch of “Notting Hill.” I talk all the time about various egg cooking techniques and that is, of course, the foundation of an amazing egg dish but this recipe focuses more so, on what is served with said egg. I adore eggs and toast but with a bit more time and effort, the toast part is given quite the delicious upgrade.
Now, don’t accuse me of Rachael Ray like behavior for the cutesy “Dippy Egg” title. “Dippy Eggs and Soldiers” are a thing, that I did not invent nor name. Typically it involves a simple soft-cooked egg served in an egg cup with pieces of toast, cut into dip-able sized pieces. In my version, the egg is a 5 minute egg (remember the 7 minute egg?) served with what can only be described as an amazing grilled cheese sandwich (filled with sharp gruyere cheese and roasted broccolini,) cut into previously referenced dip-able sized pieces. The crappy romantic movie is an additional serving suggestion.
Ingredients
For the eggs:
2 large or jumbo whole eggs
1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
For the sticks:
2 slices of egg bread (most any other sliced, hearty bread will work–whatever you have or like best)
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 small bunch broccolini (about 10 stalks), rinsed and dried with tough ends removed
olive oil
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
Directions
To make the eggs:
1. Bring a medium saucepan to a rapid boil and gently lower eggs into water and immediately start a timer for 5 minutes
2. While eggs cook, fill a bowl with ice and water. When timer is done, quickly remove eggs from boiling water and place into cold water to stop the cooking process. (Note: This can be done well in advance–so don’t worry too much about simultaneously making the soldiers within the quick cooking time of the eggs.)
To make the soldiers:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Place broccolini on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes or until charred on the outside and just tender throughout–could take up to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your broccolini. Once cooked through, roughly chop into 1 inch or so pieces
3. Spread one side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise. (Note: Okay, I know this sounds awful but hear me out. Mayonnaise, since primarily made of oil, has a higher burning point than butter. It allows you to fully cook the sandwich through without burning the outside first–this happens to me all the time when I use butter as the bread spread. Don’t lie, you do that all the time too–where the outside of your grilled cheese is all black but the inside still looks like the inside of a bag of sargento shredded cheese. But really, if the mayo freaks you out too much, you can totally use butter.)
4. Place one slice of bread into a heavy-bottomed skillet, mayonnaise side down and top with grated gruyere and the chopped, roasted broccolini. Top with other slice of bread, mayonnaise side up.
5. Turn the burner on low heat and place a piece of aluminum foil on top of sandwich and place a heavy pot or pan on top of the foil.
6. Cook on the first side for about 5 minutes or until brown and the cheese is starting to melt. Remove the foil and flip the sandwich. Place the clean side of the foil on the crisped side of the sandwich and replace the heavy pot on top of the sandwich and foil. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the second side is crisped up and the cheese is melted.
7. Let the sandwich cool for a couple of minutes and cut into 1 inch sticks.
8. To serve, place each egg in an egg cup and using a very sharp knife, cut the top off. If you don’t have egg cups, you can simply peel the eggs, slice in half, and serve them plated.
9. Top each egg with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then some of the fresh basil and serve with the soldiers, for dipping.
Printable is right about here:
- 2 large or jumbo whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- pinch of kosher salt
- pinch of fresh ground black pepper
- 2 slices of egg bread (most any other sliced, hearty bread will work--whatever you have or like best)
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- 1 small bunch broccolini (about 10 stalks), rinsed and dried with tough ends removed
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- Bring a medium saucepan to a rapid boil and gently lower eggs into water and immediately start a timer for 5 minutes
- While eggs cook, fill a bowl with ice and water. When timer is done, quickly remove eggs from boiling water and place into cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
- Place broccolini on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes or until charred on the outside and just tender throughout--could take up to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your broccolini. Once cooked through, roughly chop into 1 inch or so pieces
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise.
- Place one slice of bread into a heavy-bottomed skillet, mayonnaise side down and top with grated gruyere and the chopped, roasted broccolini. Top with other slice of bread, mayonnaise side up.
- Turn the burner on low heat and place a piece of aluminum foil on top of sandwich and place a heavy pot or pan on top of the foil.
- Cook on the first side for about 5 minutes or until brown and the cheese is starting to melt. Remove the foil and flip the sandwich. Place the clean side of the foil on the crisped side of the sandwich and replace the heavy pot on top of the sandwich and foil. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the second side is crisped up and the cheese is melted.
- Let the sandwich cool for a couple of minutes and cut into 1 inch sticks.
- Place each egg in an egg cup and using a very sharp knife, cut the top off. If you don't have egg cups, you can simply peel the eggs, slice in half, and serve them plated.
- Top each egg with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then some of the fresh basil and serve with the soldiers, for dipping.
- Eggs can be prepared in advance
- Butter can be substituted for mayonnaise, based on personal preference