Soft-Cooked Egg Sandwiches

This is a popular dish at all of our cafés. It’s a filling and comforting way to start your day and is yet another example of the eggs-and-greens theme that just never gets old. At the cafés, we serve these with a side of fermented-chile hot sauce, but you can use any fermented or vinegar-based hot sauce you like. I’m a big fan of Crystal hot sauce. Bacon or breakfast sausage is also a popular add-on. So many nights, I dream of waking up to one of these for breakfast.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

To make the greens: Set a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is warm, add the butter. When it melts, add the shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the greens and salt and then drizzle with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens have wilted and are tender but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 2

Place a baking dish in the oven and preheat the oven to the lowest setting—150° to 200°F. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the crème fraîche and salt and whisk well until combined. Set an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the butter to the warm skillet and let it melt slowly. If it melts right away or starts to turn brown at the edges, lower the heat.

Step 3

Pour ½ cup of the egg mixture into the pan. Let cook slowly until the bottom and sides are set and only the top is still translucent. Place ¼ cup of the cheese in the middle of the egg and gently fold the top, both sides, and the bottom over the cheese to make a roughly 3-inch square. Transfer the cooked egg square to the baking dish in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter, egg mixture, and cheese to make three more egg squares.

Step 4

Butter the cut sides of the buns. Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add the bun halves, cut-side down, to the hot pan and toast until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the buns, cut-side up, on a work surface. Place one egg square on each bun bottom. Top each egg square with one-fourth of the wilted greens and close with the bun tops. Serve immediately, with hot sauce.