The Egg Sandwich

[weinoo]

New York City has an old tradition for people on the go in the morning. And maybe other cities too; but here, it seems like you can pop into any "deli" or any "bodega" and grab a fried-egg sandwich on a Kaiser roll, along with a cup of coffee, for about $2.

People sometimes eat them later in the morning, at which point it's really not a hot sandwich anymore. It's a sandwich that at one point was hot, and was wrapped in deli paper, allowing the heat from the egg to soften the roll...and infuse it with eggy smells.

If I recall correctly (since it's been a long time since I've had one), the egg on the sandwich is of the broken-yolk fried egg variety. So the egg is thrown on the griddle or into a hot buttered pan, allowed to set a bit, and then the yolk is broken as the egg finishes cooking.

Then there are the add-ons. To my taste, the only possible additions can be either bacon, ham, cheese or some such combination thereof. Nothing else - nada - you wouldn't put lettuce on there, would you? Especially if you're planning on eating it later, because then the lettuce would just turn, well - gross.

I recently decided to make the fried egg sandwich at home. Unfortunately, there weren't any Kaiser rolls in my freezer, so I used some of my homemade light rye bread (click me). Fried up a couple of eggs in my trusty nonstick (broke the yolks, too) - added a bit of cheese and bacon and you know what - it was good. Not the same as unwrapping that egg sandwich from the deli, where the steamy, eggy smell hits your nose - but it was damn tasty.

So, do you make fried egg sandwiches? Are they good? And how do you make yours?

[Kim Shook]

Oh, yeah! We make those a lot! Not usually on a roll, just because, like you, I don't usually have them. But they are great on a soft onion roll, when I have one. Egg, bread (untoasted normally) and, also like you, ham, cheese, bacon, etc., but no lettuce, tomato, etc. Spread with butter or mayo. I do sometimes make mini omelets and put those on bread, too. Not many places do egg sandwiches around here. But Waffle House does a great one on Texas Toast!

[suzilightning]

well, here in jersey it's taylor ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll with butter.

at my house johnnybird's choice is egg in a small pita.

[docsconz]

I make them at home frying up one or two eggs depending on the size of the roll and adding sliced American cheese (Cooper's sharp is best) and a breakfast sausage patty. The roll works best for me either grilled or toasted. It is important that the yolk has been broken and the egg is full cooked if one wishes to avoid a big mess. I don't usually wrap it at home, but that would probably only make it better if I did.

[Restorer]

I've enjoyed all kinds of egg sandwiches. The simple ones I make are usually one or two fried broken-yolk eggs on a toasted burger bun (though I need to get some good rolls), with ham or Canadian bacon and mustard, or just egg with Sriracha and mayo.

When I was younger, I used to enjoy an egg sandwich at a local Greek-owned burger/breakfast joint. It was scrambled egg with a split grilled Polish sausage, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted sourdough. Somehow the egg, lettuce, mayo, and crunchy bread worked well together, and the sausage was the big kicker.

[weinoo]

well, here in jersey it's taylor ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll with butter.

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I'm pretty sure hard roll = Kaiser roll.

When I was younger, I used to enjoy an egg sandwich at a local Greek-owned burger/breakfast joint. It was scrambled egg with a split grilled Polish sausage, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted sourdough. Somehow the egg, lettuce, mayo, and crunchy bread worked well together, and the sausage was the big kicker.

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That may be pushing the boundaries of the "egg" sandwich - not that there's anything wrong with it .

[conor610]

I make them all the time--I'm a grad student, and eggs are cheap. But I usually don't break the yolk; I like the runniness of the yolk mixing with the bread. I usually add a dash of sriracha as well. Good stuff...might go make one now, in fact.

[ElsieD]

I make them on toasted English muffins. I add cheese and my own home-smoked bacon (cooked). We often have them on the weekend. No condiments - just salt & pepper.

[rooftop1000]

When I was a kid I insisted on Scrambled eggs, Taylor Ham and No Cheese

Now I can do fried eggs, but still no cheese

tracey

[Chris Hennes]

Ditto that, I love them on english muffins. If I'm felling really ambitious, though, they are fantastic on biscuits.

[munchymom]

I do scrambled eggs (two whites and one yolk) and a slice of American cheese, on whatever kind of bread we have (usually Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane.) You do have to sit down and eat this over a plate, it's not as portable as the fried-egg sandwich.

[Restorer]

I always like a fried egg on an English Muffin, McMuffin-style, but these days I can't do cheese, and I have yet to find something to suitably replace it on such a sandwich. Without the cheese, there's something missing that ties the sandwich together.

[DanM]

I make these for my wife on a regular basis. It typically includes a vegetarian sausage patty and is served on challah, or whatever bread is laying around.

Dan

[scubadoo97]

I make them quite often. While I like a runny yolk for this type egg sandwich the yolk is best broken. I just made them this morning. Usually just the fried egg a slice of cheese and salt and pepper wrapped in a flour or corn totilla. This mornings offer was wrapped in a flour totilla with slices of avocado and red bell pepper for a little crunch.

[Jaymes]

This used to be my favorite sandwich as a kid. There's a knack to the 'fried egg' thing. You have to cook it enough so that there's still some liquid in the yellow, but not too much. Then you put a lot of mayo, salt & pepper on your bread. Lay the fried egg on one slice, then prick it just as you add the other piece of bread. You eat this whilst leaning over your plate so that any yellow that drips off gets caught on the plate and you can swoosh it up later.

And frankly, a really fresh, cool and crunchy slice of iceberg lettuce somehow does blend well with the hot egg and mayo and bread. In fact, I still like that simple combo better than the more typical bacon, cheese, etc.

[menuinprogress]

Another vote for english muffins. We do ours with scrambled eggs (slow-cooked and soft) and a little bit of cheese.

[Pierogi]

Toasted rye bread, thin THIN sliced onion, ketchup and loads of salt and pepper. Broken yolk, absolutely, but a little bit of runny goodness is well, runny goodness. Never, ever cheese, or meat. Those came into my life later, along with the glory that is a breakfast burrito, but the fried egg sandwich of my dreams (and youth) is one as described here.

Sour rye is even better.

[maggiethecat]

A broken yolk is an abomination, if I do say so myself. I've no idea why the broken yolk meme is part of a fried egg sandwich, or in any fried egg application.

I love a scrambled egg sandwich, especially the Chicago Pepper and Egg variety. Scrambled egg, "Italian" bread and fried sweet peppers. Seriously good.

[Domestic Goddess]

I like mine on a hamburger bun with a light smear of catsup and a smear of mayonaise. My mom used to own a burger shop and offered this for vegetarians and students on a tight(er) budget. I loved it so much that my mom's helpers would fix it for me before I even asked for it. Yes, the yolk was unbroken but had enough liquid to ooze out when you bite throught it. Hmmmm.

[slkinsey]

A broken yolk is an abomination, if I do say so myself. I've no idea why the broken yolk meme is part of a fried egg sandwich, or in any fried egg application.

In the world of NYC delis/bodegas that Mitch was talking about, it's simple expediency. There's not enough time for the griddle man to truly blend up the egg and scramble every order of "egg and cheese on a roll" and if they egg yolk isn't broken, the sandwich will be too runny.

Typically, they crack an egg on the griddle, attend to a few more orders while the egg sets up, "scramble" the half-set egg (which breaks the yolk) and flip it, put a piece of cheese on top, attend to a few more orders while the cheese melts a bit, slice the roll, put in the egg and cheese, wrap it and hand it to you. Takes maybe 90-120 seconds, and in the meantime they've served the same thing to 3 other guys, plus made a few omelets, etc.

I suppose you could specify "scrambled egg and cheese on a roll" -- but I don't think it would taste meaningfully different in the end, and you'd just piss off the guy working the griddle if you did it every day.

Interestingly, all these places seem to work with whole eggs, and none seem to have that big bucket of pre-blended eggs you see in so many other places around the country.

[Kerry Beal]

Egg fried, yolk broken and scrambled in the pan on a split croissant, bit of really old cheddar and a couple of strips of crispy bacon.

[docsconz]

A broken yolk is an abomination, if I do say so myself. I've no idea why the broken yolk meme is part of a fried egg sandwich, or in any fried egg application.

I love a scrambled egg sandwich, especially the Chicago Pepper and Egg variety. Scrambled egg, "Italian" bread and fried sweet  peppers. Seriously good.

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I normally consider a broken yolk an abomination and curse if I am simply frying eggs to eat as such, but in this context, it actually works better than a runny yolk or even, IMO, scrambled eggs. The latter is not a bad substitute, especially if using an English muffin. The cheese can be mixed right in with the egg.

[Prawncrackers]

A broken yolk is an abomination, if I do say so myself. I've no idea why the broken yolk meme is part of a fried egg sandwich, or in any fried egg application.

I would have to agree with you there Maggie. The whole point of a fried egg sandwich is the runny yolk, it's the gravy/sauce. Lightly toasted bread, a little ketchup then eaten over the sink.

[docsconz]

A broken yolk is an abomination, if I do say so myself. I've no idea why the broken yolk meme is part of a fried egg sandwich, or in any fried egg application.

I would have to agree with you there Maggie. The whole point of a fried egg sandwich is the runny yolk, it's the gravy/sauce. Lightly toasted bread, a little ketchup then eaten over the sink.

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The problem is very little actually stays in the sandwich. It's wonderful for something like eggs benedict, which is eaten with a knife and fork, but a sandwich is supposed to be picked up and eaten.

[Alex]

Ha! On the menu of The Winchester, where I'll be eating a little later today, what should I see but a fried egg sandwich?

Fried Egg Sandwich – white cheddar, bacon, Van’s English Muffin Bread  - 7

    All sandwiches served with plantain chips, add yucca fries or soup –1.5