Ina Garten smashed eggs on toast makes an easy breakfast idea with no poaching at all. Soft-boiled eggs cook exactly 6 1/2 minutes, then get chopped straight onto buttered toast. It is a simple recipe that feeds four, finished with dill and whole-grain mustard.
Keep the water at a low simmer, not a rolling boil, or the eggs knock together and the shells crack. The timing matters just as much: 6 1/2 minutes exactly, then two minutes in ice water.
Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)
Ina Garten Smashed Eggs on Toast
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes10
minutes505
kcalJammy soft-boiled eggs, chopped rough over thick slices of warm buttered toast so the yolk sinks into the bread. Fresh dill, whole-grain mustard and a crunch of coarse sea salt finish it off.
Ingredients
8 cold extra-large eggs
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices from a white bread or Pullman loaf
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
4 teaspoons minced fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt or fleur de sel
Directions
- Boil the eggs: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. With a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs, one at a time, into the water. (Don’t allow them to fall into the pot or the shells will crack!)
- Cook exactly 6 1/2 minutes: Lower the heat and cook for exactly 6 1/2 minutes (not 6 minutes and not 7 minutes), adjusting the temperature to maintain a low simmer. (If the water is boiling, the eggs will knock against each other and crack.) Carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and peel.
- Toast and dress the bread: Meanwhile, toast the bread in a toaster or oven and place the slices on a cutting board. Spread each slice first with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and then 1/2 teaspoon of the mustard.
- Smash and serve: Place one egg on each slice of toast and chop the eggs roughly without cutting into the bread (the bread will absorb the runny yolks). Sprinkle with dill, kosher salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve warm.
FAQs
Can I swap the bread, the dill or the mustard?
The white Pullman loaf is there for a sturdy, plain slice that soaks up yolk, so any good white sandwich bread or sourdough works. Fresh dill is harder to replace, since dried dill turns dusty here, so reach for chives or tarragon instead. Whole-grain mustard gives you little seeds popping against the soft egg, though Dijon will do in a pinch.
How long do these keep?
Eat them right away. Once the yolk soaks into the toast the bread goes soggy within a few minutes, so this is not a dish that holds. The peeled soft-boiled eggs are the only part worth saving, and they keep in the fridge for up to two days.
Can I cook the eggs ahead of time?
Yes, and it is the smart move for a weekend breakfast for four. Boil and shock the eggs, leave them unpeeled in the fridge, then peel and warm them in hot tap water while the bread toasts. Butter and mustard go on at the last second so the toast stays crisp.
Do I need any special equipment?
Nothing fancy: a large saucepan, a slotted spoon so the eggs go in gently, a bowl of ice water and a timer you actually watch. If the toaster is busy, use the oven. Ina bakes the slices in one layer on two sheet pans at 400 degrees. Give them 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
What goes wrong most often?
Two things. Cooks drop the eggs into the pot instead of lowering them with a spoon, so the shells crack. They also leave the water at a hard boil, and the eggs rattle around and break. The other mistake is skipping the ice water, which lets the eggs keep cooking and firms up the yolk you wanted runny.
