Valentine’s Day Eggs in Toast

Toad-in-the-hole is the name of a traditional British dish in which sausages are put into Yorkshire pudding batter and baked right into the popover-like pastry. Since it’s origination, the name has been expanded to include many other dishes, including the simple breakfast dish of eggs in toast. At least, I’ve always heard eggs-in-toast called toad-in-the-hole. It can also be called Eggs in a Basket, Eggs in the Hole, or Frog in a Hole.  The dish is very easy to make and doesn’t take much more prep time than any other style of breakfast eggs. All you need to do is fry an egg inside a piece of toast. It comes out in one piece, so it’s easy to serve. I’m opting with the most  generic name for this dish, although I will continue to call it “toad in the hole” for better or worse, since that is what I’ve always called it.

Usually, this dish is made by using a round biscuit cutter to remove a circle from the center of the toast. I gave this version a Valentine’s Day twist by cutting a big heart out. You can use a knife and cut the heart free-hand (which is what I did), or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter if you have one that is about 4-inches in diameter. The bread should be very lightly toasted before cracking the egg into it, and it helps the egg not to stick to the pan if you give your bread a very light coating of butter before putting it down to be toasted.

Get up a little bit early on Valentine’s Day and make this a cute breakfast for your valentine – or make it with them, if you both want to get up early.

Valentine’s Day Toad in the Hole
(recipe is per serving)
1 large egg
1 slice of bread
butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Place a frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Lightly butter both sides of bread (this can be skipped if you really prefer yours w/o butter) and place in frying pan.
Very lightly toast one side of the bread; bread should be slightly crisp, but not colored. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a butter knife to cut a large heart out from the center of the toast. Eat or discard removed heart.
Return bread to pan, untoasted side down. Crack egg directly into the heart-shaped hole, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until egg is beginning to set. Flip once to continue cooking until desired doneness is achieved (I like mine a bit soft to be soaked up by the toast, although you can keep cooking it until the yolk is totally firm, if you wish).
Serve immediately.

Makes 1. If you have a large frying pan or griddle, make 2 or 3 at a time.