Weekends are a great time to slow down at breakfast and make something new or something a little more special than cereal. This egg toast recipe features your favourite toast scented with a hint of garlic, topped with slices of creamy brie, smokey black forest ham, and a perfectly poached egg. Finally drizzled with olive oil and garnished with salt, pepper, and fresh basil. It is an elevated version of Egg on Toast.
Normally, weekday breakfasts in my family are a fast-paced affair—quick bowls of cereal, and if we’re lucky and not running too far behind, someone might manage a slice of toast. But when the weekend rolls around, we like to slow things down and make breakfast special. My husband is the “eggs guy,” while my specialties are crepes (try my Berry Crepes), pancakes, and French toast (though he insists he’s the “French toast guy” too).
This recipe, however, is a twist on the classic eggs on toast and comes from my cousin. During a visit to her home, she surprised us with this incredible breakfast. With her blessing, I’m excited to share it with you.
Poached eggs have always been a favourite of mine when dining out for breakfast, but I used to avoid making them at home. My early attempts were messy—bits of egg coating the pot and results that looked far from appetizing. Over time, though, I discovered the secrets to perfect poached eggs. It’s simpler than you’d think, and with my tips, you can easily whip up a batch for a crowd.
Equipment Needed
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Most of the equipment I used in making this egg toast recipe you will probably already have in your kitchen. But here are some helpful links if you need to stock up your kitchen.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS EGG TOAST RECIPE
- Eggs
- Apple cider vinegar (or plain)
- Bread (your favourite for making toast)
- Brie Cheese (or your favourite cheese), cut into thin slices
- Sliced Black Forest Ham
- Garlic clove
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THIS EGG TOAST RECIPE
The most important tip to remember, if you can only remember one, is to strain your eggs. See note 1 for more details if you want to learn why. This is the real game changer when making poached eggs. Place a fine meshed strainer over a bowl and crack your egg in to it. Allow the watery part of the egg white to pass through the mesh, then pour the remaining yolk and egg white into a small bowl. Do this for each egg you plan on poaching, each egg should get its own small bowl.
Fill your saucepan about half full with water and then add in your vinegar. Bring to a boil. Once water is rapidly boiling turn the heat off and wait until no bubbles are being produced. Use a spoon to stir the water to form a whirlpool. Stop stirring and gently pour one egg into the middle of the vortex. Don’t drop the egg from high up, try to slide it into the vortex as closely to the water as possible to keep the egg in tact. Start your timer. For super soft egg yolks, poach for 3 minutes.
While your egg is poaching fill a mixing bowl with cold water and add a few ice cubes to keep the water cold. Set the bowl aside.
You can lift the egg out around 3 minutes and gently touch the yolks to feel how soft they are. If you want them a little firmer, put the egg back in the water a little longer. Once you are happy with how firm the egg yolk is, remove the egg from the saucepan and place into the ice bath. This will prevent the egg from cooking any further. You can add all your cooked eggs to this ice bath, and then when you are ready to serve, place them back in hot water again for 30-45 seconds to reheat. If you are adding a lot of eggs to the water bath you may need to top up with ice cubes to keep the water cool. And if you are just poaching one or two eggs you can skip the water bath entirely.
Be sure to bring the water up to a boil again, then turn off before poaching another egg.
Prepare your toast to the level of “toastiness” you prefer.
Slice an end off your garlic clove and rub the garlic’s newly cut flat surface all over the toast.
Drizzle with a little olive oil
Place slices of brie cheese on the toast – I used 4 small slices, but you can use as much as you like.
Place a couple slices of shaved black forest ham over the brie.
Top the ham with a poached egg. Be sure to lay the egg first on a paper towel to dry off a bit and dab the top off before placing on the ham. Nobody wants a dripping wet egg on their toast.
Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper, give it another drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with torn up basil leaves. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Straining your eggs is the big game changer when making poached eggs. As an egg ages, the whites begin to break down turning that egg white jelly into a more watery egg white. Its that watery egg white which swirls around in your saucepan and makes a wet eggy mess. So when you strain your egg, the yolk and egg white which remain in the strainer will work as a cohesive unit during poaching.
- Adding vinegar to the water helps to denature the egg whites (which is what is happening when they are heated) which ultimately helps the poached egg hold its shape faster. You won’t taste the vinegar if you place your poached egg in cold water or just use a paper towel to help dry off excess water.
FAQs
What should I serve with this egg toast recipe? I enjoy serving this protein-packed egg breakfast with fresh fruit. The combination of eggs, ham, and cheese provides plenty of satisfying protein, while the fruit adds a refreshing touch of sweetness that perfectly balances the savory flavors.
How can I melt my cheese? If you prefer your cheese melty you can place the toast with the cheese on it (with or without the ham) in a warm oven or air fryer while you get your egg ready. It will only take a couple of minutes to warm up the cheese.
Can I use other types of cheese? Of course! Use your favourite cheese. I love brie, and it’s creamy softness goes great on toast and eggs, but other soft cheeses and even firm cheeses like cheddar and gouda would taste great.
If You Liked This Egg Toast Recipe…
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Egg Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 4 slices bread toasted
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- brie cheese sliced to cover toast
- 8 slices black forest ham
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 small bunch fresh basil garnish
Instructions
- Place a fine meshed strainer over a bowl and crack your egg in to it. Allow the watery part of the egg white to pass through the mesh, then pour the remaining yolk and intact egg white into a small bowl. Discard the watery portion of the egg white. Do this for each egg you plan on poaching, each egg should get its own small bowl. See note 1.
- Fill your saucepan about half full with water and then add in your vinegar. Bring to a boil.
- Once water is rapidly boiling turn the heat off and wait until no bubbles are being produced. Use a spoon to stir the water to form a whirlpool. Stop stirring and gently pour one egg into the middle of the vortex. Don't drop the egg from high up, try to slide it into the vortex as closely to the water as possible to keep the egg in tact. Start your timer. For super soft egg yolks, poach for 3 minutes.
- While your egg is poaching fill a mixing bowl with cold water and add a few ice cubes to keep the water cold. Set the bowl aside.
- You can lift the egg out at 3 minutes with a slotted spoon and gently touch the yolks to feel how soft they are. If you want them a little firmer, put the egg back in the water a little longer. Once you are happy with how firm the egg yolk is, remove the egg from the saucepan and place into the ice bath. This will prevent the egg from cooking any further. You can add all your cooked eggs to this ice bath, and then when you are ready to serve, place them back in hot water again for 30-45 seconds to reheat.If you are only making one or two eggs you can skip the cold water bath entirely.Remember to bring your water back to boiling and then turn off before poaching another egg.
- Prepare your toast to the level of "toastiness" you prefer.Slice an end off your garlic clove and rub the garlic's newly cut flat surface all over the toast.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil
- Place slices of brie cheese on the toast – I used 4 small slices per piece of toast
- Place a couple slices of shaved black forest ham over the brie.
- Top the ham with a poached egg. Be sure to lay the egg first on a paper towel to dry off a bit and dab the top off before placing on the ham.
- Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper, give it another drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with torn up basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
- Straining your eggs is the big game changer when making poached eggs. As an egg ages, the whites begin to break down turning that egg white jelly into a more watery egg white. Its that watery egg white which swirls around in your saucepan and makes a wet eggy mess. So when you strain your egg, the yolk and egg white which remain in the strainer will work as a cohesive unit during poaching.
- Adding vinegar to the water helps to denature the egg whites (which is what is happening when they are heated) which ultimately helps the poached egg hold its shape faster. You won’t taste the vinegar if you place your poached egg in cold water or just use a paper towel to help dry off excess water.
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