Open Faced Egg Sandwich with Goat Cheese and Dill
One thick slice of toast, goat cheese spread on while the bread is still hot so it melts into the crumb, and a fried egg with the yolk left liquid. The cheese seals the toast, which is why this stays crisp instead of going soft under the egg.
Ingredients
The Toast
- 2 slices rustic sourdough or seeded country bread cut about 3/4-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons soft goat cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil optional, for the cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill torn into small fronds, not chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt divided
The Fried Egg
- 2 large eggs as fresh as you can find
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Equipment
- Nonstick Pan
- Toaster
Instructions
Toast and Spread
- Set an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat with the butter in it, and drop the bread into the toaster at the same moment. The pan needs about two minutes to come up to temperature and the toast takes about the same.
- When the toast is a solid brown, spread the goat cheese onto the hot surface right to the edges, working it in with the back of a spoon. Trickle over the olive oil if you are using it, then season with half the flaky salt, a grind of pepper and half the dill.
Fry the Egg and Finish
- Crack the eggs into the foaming butter and leave them undisturbed for about 90 seconds, until the whites have turned opaque and the edges have taken a little color. Season the whites with the kosher salt and the rest of the pepper.
- Cover the pan for 30 to 45 seconds so the steam sets the thin film of white over each yolk. Check by eye rather than by clock: no clear jelly should be left anywhere around the yolk. For a jammy yolk, leave the lid on for a full 90 seconds.
- Slide an egg onto each slice, scatter over the rest of the dill and the remaining flaky salt, and eat immediately. The toast starts softening from the moment the yolk lands on it.
Notes
The cheese must go onto hot toast. On cool toast it sits as a lump and the yolk soaks straight through to the bread.
Cover the pan for the last 30 to 45 seconds rather than flipping the egg. Steam sets the film of white over the yolk without cooking the yolk itself.
Make-ahead: mash the goat cheese with the dill, olive oil, salt and pepper up to a week ahead and keep it in a jar. Slice the loaf when you buy it, freeze the slices flat and toast from frozen.
The assembled sandwich does not keep. Ten minutes on the plate and the toast has absorbed yolk.
For a firmer, jammy yolk leave the lid on for a full 90 seconds.
Substitutions: ricotta, whipped feta or fresh chevre for the goat cheese; tarragon or chives for the dill.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg