After college, I lived in Jerusalem for a while. About a block from my apartment was a tiny café, and I’d go there for their signature breakfast as often as my budget would allow. On a single plate you’d get eggs made to order, chopped cucumber and tomato salad, yogurt, toast, jam, and a honeyed tahini spread that, actually, I can’t believe I’ve never mentioned here. I’ll have to take care of that. Today, though, I want to talk about another corner of that plate, the one with the eggs, the yogurt, and the salad.
Made-to-order eggs, for me, mean sunny side up. It’s those last luscious mouthfuls I'm after, when I slice into my carefully guarded yolks and chase them around my plate with the toast I’ve been saving for precisely that moment. A joy, as any lover of fried eggs will tell you, here amplified to earsplitting levels by the yogurt on the plate. The yolk spills down into it, and suddenly you have more stuff for swiping and sopping than you ever could have hoped for in a yolk alone. Warm and buttery, cold and creamy; some bites, it’s hard to tell where the yolk ends and the yogurt begins. The olive oil and the juices from the tomatoes deserve a mention here, too, the way they run into the yolk and yogurt and brighten them up. Lately, I’ve been breaking the yolks right away so that they seep down in and around the tomatoes, mingle with the oil to form a rich, perfect sauce. You'll want some extra toast.
Yogurt and Eggs
I’ve replaced the chopped cucumber and tomato salad from that Jerusalem café with a few thick slices of tomato alone. As for the yogurt, I suggest the plain, full-fat kind, but not Greek, which is thicker and won’t be as saucy. I use Stonyfield Farm whole milk yogurt, here.
2 large eggs
A medium scoop - say, half a cup? - of plain, full-fat yogurt
3 thick slices of tomato
2-3 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
A glug of olive oil for frying
A teaspoon or so of extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (Using one you really like makes a difference here.)
Sea salt (I use Maldon flakes)
Fry up your eggs however you like to do it. Here’s my approach for eggs that are crisp and brown around the edges, with a cooked-through white and a runny yolk: Heat some olive oil over a strong medium flame in a non-stick or cast iron pan. Add the eggs, wait about 15-20 seconds (you're letting the bottoms of the eggs really fry over the higher flame), then cover the pan and turn down the heat slightly. The eggs will continue to fry from the bottom up, while the tops of the eggs firm up nicely in the steam. They’re done after about 2-2½ minutes, when the whites no longer jiggle, but the yolks are still plenty soft.
While the eggs are cooking, spoon the yogurt onto the plate, top with the tomato slices, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and some of the sliced basil over top. When the eggs are ready, slide them on top of the tomatoes and top with freshly ground black pepper, the rest of the basil, and another pinch of salt. Serve with toast.