Savory Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches
In this unusual twist on eggs Florentine, savory muffins filled with cheese and bacon replace the traditional English muffins, and a lemon- and chive-flavored aioli stands in for the hollandaise. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so serve these when you have a house full of guests, or freeze half of the muffins and make the remaining sandwiches later. The muffins will keep in the freezer for up to month. Before serving, simply wrap them in foil and reheat them in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 10 minutes.
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1/2 lb. (250 g) bacon slices
- 1 3/4 cups (9 oz./280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbs. light brown sugar
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./185 ml) milk
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Sea salt for sprinkling
For the spread:
- 3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) mayonnaise or homemade aioli
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the spinach:
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 6 cups (6 oz./185 g) lightly packed spinach leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For assembling:
- 12 eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
To make the muffins, in a large fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, finely chop and set aside. Reserve the pan with the bacon fat.
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Generously grease 12 standard muffin cups.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Stir in the bacon, cheese and parsley.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins lightly with sea salt. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and set aside to cool.
To make the spread, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To cook the spinach, heat the fry pan with the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add half of the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute, then add the remaining spinach and cook until all the spinach is wilted but still bright green, about 1 minute more. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Fill an egg-poaching pan with 1/2 inch (12 mm) water, set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lightly oil the poaching cups and warm the cups in the pan. Crack an egg into each cup, cover the pan and cook to the desired doneness, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the poached eggs to a bowl of warm water to keep warm. Repeat twice more to make 12 poached eggs.
To assemble the sandwiches, remove a muffin from the tin and cut in half horizontally. Spread the cut side of each muffin half with the lemon-chive spread. Place a small mound of the spinach mixture on the bottom half of the muffin, then top with an egg, blotting the egg dry with a kitchen towel after removing it from the water. Season the egg lightly with salt and pepper, and top the sandwich with the top half of the muffin. Repeat to assemble the remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately. Serves 12.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
