Bacon and Egg

In honor of National Sandwich Day, here's my homage to the simple but important Bacon and Egg Sandwich. I am very particular when it comes to my sandwiches and you'd be surprised how many people miss a beat making something as simple as an egg sandwich. There are only three ingredients; bacon, eggs and bread; but the success is all in the quality of the ingredients and cooking technique, combined.

I do have a family member who prefers the most inexpensive white bread, but I prefer a good quality sour dough, baguette or brioche with some flavor and texture for my sandwich. The eggs; I am lucky, I have friends with chickens, so farm fresh Araucana eggs are my preference - as long as the girls keep laying eggs. Bacon; this is where I can go either reduced-fat turkey bacon or a good quality applewood smoked bacon; like from D'artagnan or medium-thickness slab bacon, from my local speciality market.

During my put out a few hundred breakfast banquet chef'n days, the bacon would be lined on sheet pans and cooked in a 350 degree F oven until light brown. Allow for carry-over temperature; remove the bacon before the rasher of bacon cooks to a well done or burnt stage. Isn't it funny how bacon cooks from done to burnt quickly?Today, a microwave is a great appliance for cooking bacon. Probably one of the best uses I have found for using a microwave. 

Here's the part where most people get derailed; the egg pan (I use a non-stick pan only for eggs) needs to be preheated to a medium heat, then add a combination of unsalted butter and olive oil to lightly grease the pan. Caution: pan - don't let the pan get too hot that the white of the egg burns. Flip the eggs using your best saute chef move (ha), break the yolks with a spaltula, top with warm bacon and fresh grated black pepper. Cook eggs until desired doneness. To guild the lily, warm the brioche or bread slices in the pan before topping with cooked eggs and bacon. 

There you have it, the makings of the perfect Bacon and Egg Sandwich with slightly runny eggs. Required, two napkins.