Emma Frisch shares campground-friendly cooking techniques and recipes in Feast by Firelight.
Bird in a Nest (also known as Toad in the Hole or Spit in the Eye) rallies my inner child, hands waving in the air and squealing, “Eggs and toast!” I would always beg for the most over-easy egg so I could dunk my cut-out circle of toast into a sunny pool of yolk (which became a brighter yellow after my mom introduced chickens to our backyard). This classic egg dish is one of the easiest to make at camp while still feeling special and hearty. Fresh slices of avocado and a drizzle of honey dress it up just a bit. I find that rustic sourdough or whole-grain bread stands up best to a runny egg. The easiest way to cut circles in your bread is with a narrow-mouth jar, cup, or cookie cutter 2 1⁄2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Directions
- Press the mouth of a narrow-mouth jar, cup, or cookie cutter into the center of each slice of bread, cutting out a hole.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter begins to foam (before it browns!), add a bread slice and cutout circle in the pan.
- Crack an egg into the bread hole. Cook, uncovered, until the underside of the bread is golden brown and the egg is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the bread and egg and repeat on the other side. When the egg and toast (including the cut-out) are cooked to the desired consistency, transfer to a camper’s plate. Repeat with the remaining bread slice, butter, and egg.
- Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Slice the avocado halves in their shell, and scoop out with a fork or spoon, fanning the slices over the surface of the egg and toast. Drizzle the honey evenly over the avocado and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers won’t keep well, so eat up!
Reprinted with permission from Feast by Firelight, text and illustrations copyright © 2018 by Emma Frisch. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Christina Holmes
