Man Cave Cuisine

Hi Everybody! This winter (or lack thereof) really put a damper on my cooking. I had a lot of: stews, soups, braises, and chilies planned; however, it never really got cold enough to kick those creative juices into full gear. Oh well, there’s always next year. In the meantime bring on meals outside, fresh veggies, farmer’s market finds, sauces, rubs, and grill marks. 

Here is a simple breakfast that I made on Saturday. I made it for Whitney and myself but this could easily be on the menu for a large group–say, Easter brunch. For the two of us, the yummy egg yolk is sauce enough but I could see adding a pesto spread to the bread or grilling up some tomatoes (which I might do next time) and adding it to the mix. But the combination of the sour dough bread, charred asparagus, and a runny steamed egg just works. Plain and simple just works!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Eggs
• Asparagus
• Sour Dough Bread
• Bacon
• Seasoning

If you’ve never grilled asparagus before I’ll give you a couple pointers, and you don’t have a grill just roast the bread and asparagus in the oven. So, for grilling asparagus you’ll just want to preheat your grill to a high temp (like you’re going to cook a steak except you’ll not back the heat down to medium when you actually put the spears on the grill). Since asparagus will fall though the grates you’ll also want to either use a basket or throw 5-6 on a skewer. 

Drizzle the spears with oil and seasoning and start grillin’. Asparagus does not cook for very long so if you’re going to grill your bread go ahead and season it (buttter or EVOO with a dash of salt and pepper) with your asparagus (not while it’s cooking). The bread can go on with the asparagus but make sure to keep an eye on it. Bread can burn faster than you think on the grill. 

Give the asparagus about 90 seconds and flip it. If you see some char you know you’re on the right path. Give it about another 90 seconds and pick up a stalk. If it has some flex then it’s time to come off. You want it to wiggle a little, not stand there stiff like one of the Buckingham Palace Guards or all doubled over like a drunk sorority girl on a Saturday night. 

When I put the bread and asparagus on the grill I pre-heated a non-stick pan on med/low–just so it got a head start but wasn’t screaming hot when I was finished grilling. Bread/asparagus is finished. Put the pan on medium (5 on my my stove) and crack 2 eggs. When the eggs are no longer translucent add a tablespoon of water and cover for 30/60 seconds. This steams the egg to a nice finish. 

Assemble and enjoy. I can imagine I’ll be making this again this weekend so I’ll report back with any additions I make. 

Cavan

I am all about good food, good friends and enjoying life with a glass of bourbon in my hand. Lexington is my home and I love all it has to offer-horses, great restaurants and whatever the season I cheer for the Wildcats!

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