Hot Egg and Ham Sandwich

How to fry the bread, meat and eggs

1. A homemade egg sandwich is a dish for a hearty breakfast. I recommend whole grain or multigrain “dark” bread, not a white loaf or choux-style breads. In the store you can buy bread already sliced for sandwiches, which is very handy for cooking. Fresh eggs are probably the one product found in every fridge. The sliced meat and individually wrapped processed cheese are up to you.

   

   All the ingredients that need cooking can be fried in the same pan, adding the fat in small portions.

2. Fry the bread: melt 1 tsp of butter in a pan over medium heat and fry the bread in it on both sides until lightly golden and crisp. Butter makes the bread very fragrant.

   

3. Lightly fry the meat in the leftover fat: the sliced meat should only brown slightly and heat through, so do not overcook it.

   Use the sliced meat you prefer. It can be thinly sliced cooked sausage or ham, smoked beef, chicken breast and so on. If you ask at the store, they will always slice the meat thin for you, so you will not have to fuss with it.

   

4. Fry the eggs: add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and very carefully pour the eggs into the hot fat. The goal is a fried egg in the shape of a circle, or close to it.

   You can use a silicone ring, which works quite well. I am used to making sunny-side-up eggs in a small round-bottomed wok, and they come out almost perfect.

   

How to assemble the sandwich

1. You can serve the egg sandwich on a regular plate or on a small wooden board.

2. While the eggs are frying, put both slices of fried bread on a plate and add the processed cheese. Stores sell slices of processed cheese made for sandwiches or burgers: they are very soft and thin, individually wrapped. Just peel off the film and put the cheese on the toasted bread.

   

4. Lay the hot fried meat on top of the cheese and press it down lightly with a spatula. While the eggs fry, the cheese will start to melt a little from the heat.

   One slice of meat is usually enough for a sandwich. Purely for myself, I use two, but that is personal.

   

5. Finish frying the eggs and move them onto the sandwiches: for a sandwich, the eggs are best cooked a little longer, just enough for part of the yolk to set. Otherwise the runny yolk will run down your hands during breakfast. But see for yourself. As soon as the eggs are fried the way you want, use a spatula to move them onto the prepared slices of bread with cheese and meat.

   

Serving

1. Season the eggs with just a little salt and ground black pepper. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the sandwiches. You can garnish them with a sprig of greens if you like.

   Serve the sandwiches for breakfast while they are hot, but not scalding. The breakfast is hearty, tasty and fragrant: it will keep you full until lunch, and the day will be great!