Eggs In A Frame

One of my favorite breakfasts is one my dad, at the tender age of 83 (and when he feels up to it), still makes each and every Wednesday morning for anyone who happens to be in their home that morning in the Flint area. I’ve heard plenty of names for this simple but interesting breakfast, but we always called it ‘Eggs In A Frame’, which is what my own kids also call it. Dad learned the dish decades ago from a co-worker at the GM body plant south of Flint. I’ve found that, with kids, they can do a pretty good job of making this dish, too, so I’ve already passed it on. Briahna made me a batch for lunch this past Saturday, it was most excellent, and I enjoyed every single bite. She’s 12 … younger kids may need a bit of supervision.

A couple things are very important with this dish. First is the seasoning. Dad uses a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed. For a couple years now, I’ve been using the Mill House Blend from the Alden Mill House. This spice mix covers it all and gives a great flavor. You can get this either from their web site, the Mill House itself east of Traverse City in Alden, Michigan, or at the jerky shops in Dundee or Luna Pier. But for the batch she made for me Saturday, Briahna used 15 Million Spice from her pal Chef Tad at the Frog Leg Inn, and I gotta tell ya’, it was pretty darn good!

The other important aspect of this dish is consistency. It’s too easy to overcook the eggs, to fry the extra bread pieces till they’re brittle. The eggs should end up over-easy (even though, in the recipe, I include the process for making them over-hard), and the extra bread pieces should be the consistency of hash browns. With just a little practice, you can hit on the right timings to make this oh-so-good.

Here’s how we make this dish in our family …

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 slices bread
Unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Seasoning: Mill House Blend from Alden Mill House
or 15 Million Spice from the Frog Leg Inn

Equipment
1 large cutting board
1 2″ – 2-1/2″ round cookie or biscuit cutter
1 14″ – 16″ non-stick frying pan
1 large spatula

Let the butter soften to room temperature. Lay the bread on the cutting board, lightly butter one side of each slice, then turn them over and butter the other sides. With the buttered bread still on the cutting board, use the cookie or biscuit cutter to cut the centers of each slice. Do not discard the round pieces of buttered bread. Sprinkle some seasoning on the exposed side of each piece. Heat the pan over medium heat and, once it’s hot, lay the bread pieces in the pan spiced-side down.

For over-hard eggs:
Add about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the open center of each slice of bread, then crack an egg into the opening. Sprinkle some seasoning on the tops of each piece and let them cook for a few minutes. Use the spatula to lift each piece to see if they’re brown and slightly crispy underneath. When each one is done (the round pieces will get done quicker), flip them over.

For over-easy eggs:
Sprinkle some seasoning on the tops of each piece in the pan, then let them cook for a few minutes. Use the spatula to lift each piece to see if they’re brown and slightly crispy underneath. When each one is done (the round pieces will get done quicker), flip them over. When they’re flipped, add about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the open center of each slice of bread and crack an egg into the opening.

Let the other side of each piece cook till they’re brown and slightly crispy. As each piece gets done, remove them to a plate to serve as shown.

5 Comments

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  1. Wow! Your photo looks scrumptious. Growing up on Saginaw Bay, my mother called these “Derling Sandwiches”, my father (who often ate these as a ‘late night snack’) called them “Whirling Derlings” & my husband calls them “Whirly Derlys”. Whatever! They’re ‘simply’ delicious and still a favorite.
    Ours are a tad different. We only use unsalted butter, salt & pepper. I brown both sides before plopping in the egg. The men in my life like them covered with a thin slice of Pinconning or American Cheese. I’m a purest ~ only good wheat bread, freshly cracked black pepper and a dash of coarse salt for me.

  2. Joey, this past Saturday I’d picked up some cheese bread at the Stone Hearth bakery in Brooklyn, Michigan, a mile or so north of MIS. I didn’t even think to ask Bri to make my Eggs In A Frame with it, but now you’ve gotten me curious as to how that would turn out. I think there are two slices left in the fridge right now. Hmmm …

  3. oooh, i’ve seen recipes for ‘eggs in a basket’ but never actually tried it, not sure if i want to attempt it with the home pride wheat i bought in prep for the storm or wait until i have some homemade bread….looks really good, i’m really hungry…’hey boss, can i be work-reduced?’ 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe!

  4. Vanessa, I think a home-pride wheat would work just fine for this. The next batch that’s a “gotta-try” for me is a Texas Toast, while also adding cheese as per Joey’s suggestion. Maybe a finely-shredded colby-jack? And a sprinkling of Joe Perry’s Mango Peach Tango Hot Sauce?? Hmmm …

  5. Dave:

    My cooking mentor from my youth called these ‘toads in a hole.” She was raised in rural Mississippi during the depression.

    I had never the term again until Kris and I made our first visit to Breaux Bridge LA., and our host served us ‘toads in a hole” for breakfast. Thankls for sharing your story.
    Peace,
    Griff

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