Oven-Baked Eggs in a Hole with Toasted Parmesan

配料

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread (see headnote)

1 medium garlic clove, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large eggs

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup)

Optional garnish: Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley OR thinly sliced scallions OR hot sauce OR a combination

步骤

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Rub each slice of bread on both sides with the cut side of the garlic, then place the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet; discard the garlic. In a small bowl, stir together the butter and oil. Brush both sides of each slice with the butter-oil mixture.

Using a 2½- to 3-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out the center of each slice of bread and place the cutouts on the baking sheet. Crack 1 egg into the hole of each slice of bread. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the eggs and the bread, including the cutouts, followed by the Parmesan. Bake until the bread is toasted and the eggs are just set, 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks or 5 minutes for fully set eggs.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer each egg in a hole and its cutout to an individual plate.

备注

The childhood favorite, egg in a hole, gets a boost in flavor from the garlic clove that’s rubbed onto the bread before toasting and the Parmesan cheese that browns and crisps during cooking. For ease, we use a baking sheet in the oven rather than a skillet on the stovetop, so four servings can be made simultaneously. Be sure to choose large, sturdy sandwich bread that’s sliced about ¾ inch thick. Thinner slices won’t be deep enough to hold the cracked egg in the center cutouts. This recipe can easily be increased by half to make six servings.