Sautéed mushrooms on toast and topped with a fried egg make a satisfying meat-free meal on days when you need something easy. Make it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – it’s good any time of day!
All you have to say is “eggs and toast” and I’m on board.
Add a mound of sautéed mushrooms on top, and now the dish looks and tastes like something more elaborate. It’s just eggs and toast, but the mushrooms elevate it. Instead of an everyday breakfast, suddenly it’s a brunch dish, a quick supper, or part of a menu for guests.
A SIMPLE BUT SATISFYING MEAL
Start with thick slices of toasted white sandwich or sourdough bread, spoon an intense mixture of mushrooms on top, and top each serving with a fried egg.
When your fork pierces the yolk, its golden richness makes a sauce with the mushroom juices. You’ll find yourself swiping it across the plate with the last bits of bread.
WHICH MUSHROOMS TO BUY
I use whatever mushrooms I find in the market, and if that means only white button mushrooms, they’ll make a fine sauté. Or chop a big portabello (chefs will tell you to peel them, but skip that), or use baby portobellos or cremini (sometimes labeled baby portobello), which both look like dark versions of button mushrooms.
Shiitakes, which I love because they have so much flavor, have curled caps that look like they’ve already been dried a little, but they’re actually moist when you cut into them.
Wipe away any dirt with damp paper towels, and include the stems when you chop up the mushrooms (unless you’re using big portabellas or shiitakes, whose stems are too woody).
HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOMS ON TOAST
You can sauté the mushrooms in advance, if you like; reheat the mushrooms with a tablespoon or two of water to warm and loosen them. Fry the eggs at the last minute so they’re hot and the yolks are still runny when you drape them over the dish.
Settle in and enjoy your accolades.
MORE WAYS TO ENJOY MUSHROOMS
You can sauté the mushrooms in advance, if you like; reheat the mushrooms with a tablespoon or two of water to warm and loosen them.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (button, cremini, shiitake, baby portabella, or a mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
- 1/4 cup chicken stock, or more if needed
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for buttering the toast
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices bread, any favorite kind
Method
1 Cook the mushrooms: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the shallot, garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their juices.
Turn the heat to medium-high and continue cooking, stirring often, until all the mushroom liquid evaporates. This intensifies their flavor.
2 Add the stock and parsley: Add the chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add more chicken stock, if needed, to make a mixture that is a little saucy, but overly liquidy. Transfer to a bowl, cover loosely, and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet.
4 Fry the eggs: In the skillet, melt the butter. Drop the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Cover the skillet and cook 2 minutes more, or until the whites are just set but the yolk is still runny. (Cook a little longer if you prefer more firmly-set yolks. )
5 While the eggs are frying, toast the bread: Transfer to individual plates when done and butter. Cut in half, if desired.
4 Serve: Divide the mushrooms among the plates. Top with an egg. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, to garnish.
