egg special

When I was a kid, my mother would often make what she called "egg special" for dinner. Usually this was either scrambled or sunny-side-up eggs (my favorite) with thin, white squares of Pepperidge Farm bread, toasted and buttered. It seems like we had egg special at least once a week - at least enough that I remember it very well. I kind of thought "egg special" seemed like a big deal with a name like that, but now I know it was just a quick, easy, inexpensive dinner for which my mother always had ingredients on hand.

I've followed this approach myself, and I make egg special on a pretty regular basis now, too. Usually I make it on nights when Brian is working late, or if I'm not feeling that great. I guess because I grew up eating it, it's become comfort food for me. I try to dress up my version of egg special with good cheese, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, leftover chicken sausages, etc. Or, sometimes I just go for the old stand-by, sunny side up, with a piece of buttered toast or english muffin.

Recently I discovered a tasty and easy recipe for fingerling potatoes in Jack Bishop's "A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen". He suggests a few variations, and I've tried the recipe twice now in two different ways and I LOVE it. It's one of the few potato recipes I can honestly say I really love. Because we now have many, many fingerling and other potatoes from our CSA, egg special with a variation on fingerling potatoes seems like a great easy meal.


egg special with thyme fingerling potatoes

a handful of fingerling potatoes per person
olive oil
one clove minced garlic per person
several bunches fresh thyme
salt
pepper
1 - 2 eggs per person

Scrub and rinse the fingerlings well. Slice in half lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with oil and garlic. Season with salt and add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan by about a 1/2 inch, bring to a low boil, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. When potatoes are tender, remove lid, raise heat to high, and cook the potatoes until all remaining liquid has evaporated and potatoes begin to brown. Stir in thyme leaves when liquid has evaporated.


Remove potatoes from pan and set aside. Return pan to medium heat and add another bit of oil. Add 1 - 2 eggs per person, season with salt and pepper, cover, and fry over medium until done to your liking. Serve eggs over potatoes, eat once a week, and watch that cholesterol!