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Amidst a slew of jokes, dancing, and random challenges, a recipe appeared on my TikTok ‘For You Page’ and piqued my interest. I mean, it’s no secret that TikTok has a community of ingenious and creative people who make cooking seem like a fuss-free, 15-second video process, with crisp videos and easy recipes. A six-layer brownie, tortilla wrap hack, cloud bread—this #homecooking trend truly got me hanging around my kitchen more. And this time, I found an interesting twist to a breakfast staple—Pesto Eggs on toast.
I’ve only tried the classic pesto pasta, which allowed me to appreciate every bit of flavour that basil offers. Don’t be intimidated by this thick, grassy green sauce, it’s actually a piquant and complex flavour-boost to your dish. In pesto, the herby and bright basil profile is accentuated by its cheese and pine nuts counterparts, and rendered more flavourful with olive oil. It’s more than just a green paste, but a savoury and fragrant addition to your eggs which changes the breakfast game.
It’s recommended to place your eggs atop a slice of sourdough, but since it wasn’t that accessible to me when I made this dish, I experimented with the only kind of bread I happened to have—the baguette.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of ground pepper
- Pinch of chilli powder (or chilli flakes)
Tools
- Spoon
- Bowl
- Frying pan
- Spatula
Recipe preparation
Preparation time: 3 mins, Cooking time: 5 mins
Feeds 1
- Crack 2 eggs.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of pesto.
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, spread the pesto in a thin layer across the pan.
- When the pesto is warm, crack the eggs into the pan, ideally atop the pesto.
- Cook the eggs for 4 to 5 minutes or until the whites are set and no longer translucent.
- Sprinkle eggs with pepper and chilli powder.
Recipe in pictures
Step 1: Crack 2 eggs.
Step 2: Scoop out 2 tablespoons of pesto.
Step 3: Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, spread the pesto in a thin layer across the pan.
Step 4: When the pesto is warm, crack the eggs into the pan, ideally atop the pesto. Cook the eggs for 4 to 5 minutes or until the whites are no longer translucent.
Step 5: Sprinkle eggs with pepper and chilli powder. Serve with baguette, or any type of bread.
The hardest part of this insanely straightforward dish for me, was allowing the eggs to rest directly atop the pesto while they’re cooked. Depending on the size of your pan, you may want to spread a reasonable amount of pesto covering it so most of your egg rests atop the pesto sauce. Also, a non-stick pan would definitely help when you’re scooping up your eggs. While my messy dish is everything the aesthetically pleasing success photos don’t show, do take note of these tips so you can satiate your needs for the ‘gram. Some good additions to your pesto eggs on toast would be an avocado, ricotta cheese, topped off with a drizzle of honey.
Regrettably, the thick cut and hard texture of baguette makes the dish extra dense, without adding flavour to the savoury eggs. I understand why the recipes use the lauded sourdough now. I’d imagine the slight-sour twang and crispiness of a sourdough slice complimenting the garlicky and cheesy tastes of the eggs. Still, the aromatic and bold flavours permeated my palate the moment I bit into them, satiating my cravings for salt, sourness and savouriness all at once. They’re good on its own, really.
As I wonder how such a simple dish became such a hit, I realise that TikTok’s home cooking trend is really the gift that keeps on giving, introducing dishes ingredients that I’ll never think the combine together. When you’re in the need of a switch-up for breakfast or just some cooking inspiration, these pesto eggs can rouse your palate and creativity. Don’t knock it till you try it.
Expected damage: S$1 – S$2 per portion
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