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Ready in 20 minutes, these dippy eggs with cheese-fried toast soldiers make for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch and require very little prep work.
Not so long ago, I was helpless in the kitchen. Even boiling water for pasta was a mystery to me. So when learning to cook, I leaned heavily on others for help. One of the first cookbooks I read was by Julia Child, who I thought was “just some old lady with a cooking show”. But once I buried myself in the pages, I felt an instant connection. Her personality leapt off the pages, and I found myself trusting her guidance. With Julia by my side, I could make a crepe or a poached egg. With Julia’s help, I could make a fancy French dinner for friends and pull it off—and did, much to my own surprise. The more I tried, the more I realized with the right recipe as guidance: I could cook. Keep reading for this dippy eggs recipe, and how it relates to my early cooking days.
The perfect breakfast: dippy eggs & toast soldiers
We recently picked up Tara O’Brady’s new cookbook, Seven Spoons. And as I started reading through her story and recipe head notes, I felt that old Julia vibe. Tara writes as through she’s speaking to a dear friend, and her language is so vivid and descriptive it’s hard to put down. Her book is an eclectic mix of Indian, British, French, and Italian-inspired dishes, with fancy dishes, like Specialty Restaurant Lentil Kofta Curry, and simpler fare, like Avocado Toast. Oh, and fabulous photos.
As we paged through the book, this recipe for dippy eggs (soft boiled eggs) and toast soldiers stood out to both of us. Though it didn’t have a corresponding photograph in the book (which always makes me stumble), toast soldiers sounded too fun not to try.
On a lazy Saturday morning, we cooked up the dippy eggs and toasties, with bright light streaming in the windows and the intoxicating aroma of warm coffee. We’d never eaten out of egg cups before, but they provide the perfect position for dipping into the runny, rich egg yolk. Topped with a little salt and smoked paprika and delivered on a crunchy cheese toasty, these dippy eggs felt fancy and simple all at once.
The photos throughout this post are of our breakfast date on that day, nothing staged, everything just as we ate it. Looking at them gives me that warm, cozy, breakfasty feeling that you have on weekends with people you love. Thank you so much, Tara, for sharing your heart and soul in this beautiful book—it’s a masterpiece.
PS For bonus points, name the city where we honeymooned, based on the hidden clue in these photos.
Looking for more easy egg recipes?
Outside of these dippy eggs, here are a few more easy egg recipes:
- Grilled Cheese with Mayo & Boiled Egg
- Tex Mex Migas
- Eggs with Chive Blossoms
- Simple Black Beans and Eggs
- Soft Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Asparagus
This dippy eggs recipe is…
Vegetarian.
Print
Dippy Eggs with Toast Soldiers
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Ready in 20 minutes, these dippy eggs with cheese-fried toast soldiers make for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch and require very little prep work.
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices sturdy sandwich bread
- 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
- 2 to 4 eggs, depending on appetite
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground back pepper
- Smoked paprika
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with water deep enough to cover the eggs by 2 inches. Bring the water to a simmer, then reduce the heat so that the water is only quivering.
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. On a board, spread one side of each slice of bread with a thin coating of mayonnaise. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the slices, then press gently to secure the fleecy layer of cheese. Flip the bread over. Spread the second side with more mayonnaise and cover with the remaining cheese, patting down again. Fry the bread in the hot pan until evenly golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with the chives while hot, then set aside to keep warm if needed.
- Meanwhile, once the water is at the proper temperature, use a strainer or slotted spoon to carefully lower the eggs into their bath. Cook for exactly 6 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the barest simmer, with tiny bubbles just breaking the surface.
- When the timer dings, remove each egg with the slotted spoon and place in an egg cup. Lop off each top with a knife. Season with salt and pepper and paprika. (Alternative: If you don’t have egg cups, run the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle, then rap the fat end against the counter and peel gently. Place in a small bowl, split, and dip away.)
- Cut the toasts into strips and have at it. Be sure to keep seasoning the eggs as you devour them.
Notes
The recipe indicates to use a cast-iron skillet, but we found a non-stick skillet was easier to use and clean.
Reprinted with permission from Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O’Brady
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: dippy eggs, toast soldiers, Breakfast Recipes, Egg Recipes, Brunch Recipes
I have very fond memories of egg cups from my childhood. Loved using them for my soft-boiled eggs. But now I am scared of runny eggs! Been burned a couple of times on undercooked eggs, and other than using farm fresh eggs, any thoughts or suggestions on safety if you only have grocery store eggs? How do you know if eggs are ok? I would love to revisit this… I have the egg cups in my home as decoration in my kitchen, not as something we use anymore
I’m so sorry about your egg misadventures! We haven’t had any problems with grocery store eggs in the past, so we can’t speak to any tips – we’ll defer to other readers on that! This recipe cooked the eggs perfectly, so you could give it a try if you are feeling courageous :)
I ordered my copy of ‘Seven Spoons’ last week and I can’t wait for it to arrive… I tried looking at my local book store but no luck which was annoying because I didn’t want to wait :)
Those dippy eggs looks incredible but last time I tried to soft boil an egg it was a disaster… it was mostly raw and ended up a slimy mess on my toast…humpf. I haven’t had the courage to try again. Maybe this weekend is my chance!? Need to pick up some egg cups though so I don’t fight with it rolling around in a ramekin :)
Yes, try it again! This method of boiling the eggs for 6 minutes worked great – the eggs turned out perfectly soft boiled. Let us know if you try it out, and how it goes! Hope you enjoy Seven Spoons – it’s lovely.
I love the way that Tara writes from her blog post to the head notes to the recipes themselves. You sum it up perfectly. Tara’s book has fast become one of my favourites.
Ours too! Thanks, Kathryn :)
Wonderful post – I love how you guys write about food. My dad used to always claim the eggs “spoke to him” because soft boiled eggs was just about the only thing he could cook perfectly in the kitchen. I have such fond memories of dipping toast into eggs that I actually made it into a dessert – pain perdu “soldiers” dipped into a lemon custard egg. Here’s the recipe if people are interested :) http://www.timedeating.co.uk/dessert-egg-soldiers
Thank you for the kind comment – and the fun anecdote about your father. And I love your dessert rendition – very clever! Eggs and soldiers for the win!
Had to drop by to say how much I enjoy your posts!
The cookbook sounds rather an eclectic mix, pushing it to the future buy list. Can’t say though that I have done the runny egg thing since childhood, which was when dinos roamed.
Just wanted to let you know your photography is great too. Wish you had a post someday just on your process.
Hmmm…clue in photos for Honeymoon…. Tough one. Ok, I have a vivid imagination so take this with a grain of salt but I think I see an Eiffel Tower toast arrangement so I am going with Paris!
Cheers,
Anne
Thank you so much – that is so kind! We have not yet posted on our photography process, but we’ll keep that in mind for a future post! On the honeymoon clue, you are close – but try another major European city :)
Is that the Colosseum? I’m gonna go with Rome, as I remember how much you guys said you love Italy in previous posts. ;-)
Winner! :)
Such a lovely breakfast! Simple, sophisticated, romantic – all at the same time! Tara’s book is such a gem , I’m officially obsessed with it!
Us too! Thanks, Grace!
Smoked paprika on eggs. Of course! What a perfect pairing. This is a great slow morning savory breakfast – thanks for giving us a peak into your weekend morning routine! :)
Smoked paprika is the best, isn’t it? We especially loved it here – it provides just the right flair!
These images are so inviting! I have to look for that recipe book!
Rome– I see the Colosseum!
Winner! :)
Yes! You win! :)
I love the dippy eggs! And its really nice that you have mentioned Julia Child here in your blog. The photos you have are so inviting, it makes me want to create this recipe right now. It’s a wow!