Egg and mushrooms: not just for breakfast anymore.

It was around this time last year that I was waking up early every morning to volunteer at the Portland Film Festival. I would drink a cup tea and I eat an egg white omelette filled with mushrooms at the Imperial every day. The omelette was cooked in olive oil and served with a tomato and basil salad. When I asked the waitstaff if the eggs were Free-Ranged they always answered “of course!”

Not everybody feels strongly about free-ranged eggs and that is certainly the case in a lot of the other restaurants in Portland and here at home. I sometimes feel like a character in Portlandia when I ask so many questions about where the eggs came from and how the chickens were treated. I won’t preach my opinions on what are considered acceptable farming practices in North America. However, I feel that a beautiful, silky, orange egg yolk is all you really need to be a convert. You can really see and taste the difference.

I think egg yolks make the world better (unless you’re a vegan). They’re so oozy and lovely. I sometimes stand back in disbelief that I ever tried to omit them from my diet.

I became so fond of eggs and mushrooms for breakfast that after I came home I started making the dish for myself. It became my breakfast of choice for months. But I am me and I did have to change some things…

I start by caramelizing onions slowly in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt for ten minutes.

I add one garlic clove that’s been finely sliced. Cooking just long enough to mellow the sharpness (a minute).

Then it’s mushroom time! Cremini and oyster are my mushrooms of choice. The creminis have a deep umami flavour and the oyster have a taste almost similar to seafood. If you can get your hands on chanterelles, morels, or lobster mushrooms definitely add them to the mix. You won’t be sorry.

I cut the creminis into quarters and add them to the onions and garlic. I just rip the oysters with my hands directly into the frying pan. Add the leaves from a sprig or two of thyme and a dash of paprika.

I add a teaspoon of goat butter (you can use regular cow’s butter or olive oil). I really like the taste of goat butter. It’s naturally funky tasting. It adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

Once the creminis are cooked through and nicely browned, I make a nest in the center of the mixture to reveal the bottom of the pan and I crack an egg into the center. I add a few thyme leaves, salt, and pepper to the egg before turning off the heat and covering.

I peek every minute or so until the desired doneness is achieved. I like my egg when the white is just set and the yolk retains its color (between a minute and a half to two minutes).

I finish the egg with chive flowers and a tomato and basil salad. It’s very different from the dish that inspired it a year ago. I think it shows a nice evolution from a humble omelette to a nested sunny side up egg.

#BreakfastBrunch #Eggs