How To Baste Eggs: Basted Eggs with Caramelized Shredded Brussels Sprouts

What are basted eggs, you ask?  Well, friend, prepare to fall in love.  It is a super fast and easy way to cook eggs, but strangely flies under the radar.  It’s somewhere between fried (which I never ate growing up) and poached (which is complicated and challenging).  Basting eggs takes like five minutes total, and you can choose whether the yolks are runny or firm.  So let’s talk how to baste eggs.

And then I’ll share a “recipe”…which isn’t really a recipe so much as a meal combination that I stumbled upon many years ago in the throes of desperation, trying to avoid yet another meal of cereal and wine.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

I’ve already shared my love of brussels sprouts, including this delicious, easy caramelized shredded brussels sprouts (and much faster than roasting them in the oven!).  

So one night, I had a few brussels sprouts sitting in the fridge I knew I could make up, but that wasn’t going to cut it for dinner. So I decided to baste up some eggs for a protein kick. What was great was how the egg yolk (I like mine on the runny side) mixed in with the brussels sprouts.  Think of these brussels sprouts like you would a vegetable hash, a wonderful base for eggs.

Too lazy to shred??  Try this roasted brussels sprouts “rubble”

Take a small non-stick pan, and place on medium heat on the stove.  Spray with a tiny bit of cooking spray. 

Once the pan is hot, break the eggs into the pan, making sure not to puncture the yolk.  I mean, the world doesn’t end if you do, you just don’t get the pretty, runny yellow mounds.

Let cook for a minute or two, until a strong white film has formed under the eggs (as the whites start to cook). 

Then pour a little water in around the edges.  There isn’t an exact amount, just start with a few splashes, to where a very tiny amount of water is all the way around the eggs (like 1/8th cup at first).  Every stove and pan are a little different.

Cover with a lid or plate and let cook for a few minutes (3-5 minutes probably).  They basically kind of poach themselves, without all the fuss—steamed I guess.  

This is where the water comes in—if you put too little in then your eggs will dry out and be more like fried eggs, but too much will make them weird and watery.  It’s better to start with too little, and then check the eggs about a minute after you put the lid on to see if the water has evaporated too soon.

Once the eggs are cooked to the doneness you want and the water is mostly evaporated, remove from heat.  I like mine with a serious jiggle, the yolks just starting to set up but still runny.

They should slide right out of the pan onto whatever you’re serving them on.

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and perfection.  You can top them with leftover chili and cheese, salsa, whatever floats your boat.  I like to put them atop the caramelized brussels sprouts, a delicious sweet potato and onion hash, or for a real meal my amazing salmon potato hash.  They’re incredibly versatile.

Other simple breakfast goodies you’ll love:

• Easy Basic Crepes
• Best Buttermilk Pancakes Ever
• Apple-Almond Cinnamon Smoothie
• Frittata with Baby Spinach, Goat Cheese, & Sweet Potato Hash Crust

How To Make Basted Eggs

Yield: As much as you want

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

I grew up with basted eggs, but I've found that most people have never heard of them. Here's a crazy simple tutorial for how to baste eggs.

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Ingredients

• Eggs
• Non-stick pan
• A little water
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Take a small non-stick pan, and place on medium heat on the stove.  Spray with a tiny bit of cooking spray.
2. Once the pan is hot, break the eggs directly into the pan (3 is a perfect amount), making sure not to puncture the yolks (if you do, it's not world-ending, just means you don't get the pretty yellow runny yolks).
3. Let cook for a minute or two, until a strong white film has formed under the eggs (as the whites start to cook). 
4. Then pour a little water in around the edges.  There isn't an exact amount, just start with a few splashes, to where a very tiny amount of water is all the way around the eggs (like 1/8th cup at first).  Every stove and pan are a little different.
5. Cover with a lid or plate and let cook for a few minutes (3-5 minutes probably).  They basically kind of poach themselves, without all the fuss---steamed I guess.  This is where the water comes in---if you put too little in then your eggs will dry out and be more like fried eggs, but too much will make them weird and watery.  It's better to start with too little, and then check the eggs about a minute after you put the lid on to see if the water has evaporated too soon.
6. Once the eggs are cooked to the doneness you want and the water is mostly evaporated, remove from heat.  I like mine with a serious jiggle, the yolks just starting to set up but still runny.
7. Season and serve.  I like simple salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  These are incredibly versatile, and perfect topped with chili and cheese, salsa, or sitting on top of vegetable hash.

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