I put bottarga on everything I can.
For me, the intense salinity and oceanic funk of aged, dried mullet roe make it the perfect seasoning agent for most foods. Anything that likes salt loves bottarga. I like to grate it over pasta and finish with bread crumbs, but three times a week for breakfast and every two weeks as a midnight snack, I make these egg toasts.
Now, a word about poultry eggs: I am lucky because in Minnesota where I live, we have access to farm–fresh chicken eggs (which make all the difference here), but if you can make this with farm–fresh duck eggs, prepare to have your mind blown.
Soft-Scrambled Egg Toasts with Bottarga
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus softened buttered for spreading
- Four 1/2-inch-thick slices of sourdough or rustic loaf
- 8 large eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
- Finely grated bottarga, for serving (See Note)
Instructions
TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
SERVINGS: 4
Heat a large nonstick skillet. Generously butter both sides of the bread slices. Add 2 slices of bread to the skillet and toast over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp on the edges, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to plates. Repeat with the remaining bread.
Wipe out the skillet and melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in it. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, then stir in the 2 tablespoons of chives. Add the eggs to the skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until small curds form and the eggs are creamy, about 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and season the eggs with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the eggs onto the toast and generously top with finely grated bottarga and finely chopped chives.
NOTES Bottarga is dried mullet roe. It’s available at specialty food stores, from my favorite Anna Maria Fish Company, and from Amazon.
Originally published in Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures on foodandwine.com.
Photograph by Madeleine Hill.
