Food & Drink

The Brunch Life: Egg Roles

Jan. 22, 2016 | 5:00 AM

Get cracking on trying out these yolk-tastic dishes.

egg style the dish cook time chef tip why it works if you go
45-minute egg Graffiti Social Kitchen's Battery Park Breakfast, a pork belly hash made with 45-minute eggs, rye toast panzanella and ketchup vinaigrette ($12) 45 minutes Chef and co-owner Adam Bostwick cooks eggs in their shells in an immersion circulator — a device used to circulate and heat water at a stable temperature. "It's like a poached egg, kind of that consistency, but it keeps its egg shape when it's out of the shell." "The egg adds a different texture," says Bostwick. "On the bottom, you've got crunchy and soft pork belly, then you break the egg [and] you get a runny yolk over everything that adds a custardy richness." Sun. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., 1261 W. 76th St., Cleveland, 216-651-6969, graffitisocialkitchen.com
baked Treehugger's Cafe's asparagus cheddar quiche with dill shallot sauce ($12) 40 minutes at 425 in a convection oven Add a touch of flour to keep the quiche from getting soggy. "For the best flavor, you want to saute and season your ingredients first before baking," says chef Shana Trepal. "It's like a nice marriage," says Trepal. "It's got a nice earthy flavor, and the fluffy eggs work with the cooked asparagus, which gives you something to bite into." Breakfast all day, 1330 W. Bagley Road, Berea, 440-973-4277; 7390 Old Oak Blvd., Middleburg Heights, 440-816-4217, treehuggerscafe.com
braised Next Door's occhio di bue made with tomato braised eggs, chickpeas, braised greens and focaccia ($11) 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees Keep the egg from seeping into the tomato sauce and losing its shape. "I'll use the greens and make a well to hold the egg and crack it inside of that," says chef and owner Dante Boccuzzi. "We added the braised greens and chickpeas to make it more hearty and substantial," says Boccuzzi. "I think the best part of eating the dish is when you break open the yolk, and you have the creamy yolk blending in with the chunky tomatoes." Sat. & Sun. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-274-1201, nextdoor.danteboccuzzi.com
poached Bonbon Pastry & Cafe's Bubble & Squeak, a root veggie patty, Brussels sprouts, bacon and poached egg ($10) 5-7 minutes Add a little vinegar to the simmering water to set the egg, then create a whirlpool to keep the egg whites together. "Take a spoon and stir it. It's a quick stir," says chef and owner Courtney Bonning. "Take the spoon out. The water is still spinning, and you put your egg in the middle. "It's everything you want breakfast to be," says Bonning. "There's a little bit of crunch, salt, sweet, acid — all the flavors and textures are represented. And when you break into it, the yolk creates a really lovely sauce." Weekdays 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., 2549 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-458-9225, bonboncleveland.com
scrambled Fire Food and Drink's scrambled eggs with Yukon Gold home fries ($10) 1-2 minutes Make sure the pan is really hot before adding the egg. "Then shake the pan over high heat until it's scrambled," says chef and owner Douglas Katz. "This helps keep the eggs light and fluffy." "The creamy flavor and fluffy texture of the scrambled eggs eats really well with the sweet, crispy potatoes," says Katz. "A side of bacon or a bagel makes them even better." Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 13220 Shaker Square, Cleveland, 216-921-3473, firefoodanddrink.com
sunny-side up Spice Kitchen & Bar's sunny-side up egg and chorizo tostada with black beans, Lake Erie Creamery feta, salsa verde and pickled peppers ($12) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes If using farm-fresh eggs, the yolks tend to be creamier. "So when you give them a flip, they have more of a tendency to break," says chef and owner Ben Bebenroth. "That's why we serve ours sunny-side up." "The yolk is essentially the gravy, which drinks into the tostada really nicely and rounds out the garlicky punch of the black beans," says Bebenroth of this dish created by sous chef Adam Stafford. Sat. & Sun. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, 216-961-9637, spicekitchenandbar.com

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