I tried Ina Garten's fresh spin on avocado toast, and it's the perfect quick and easy breakfast
- Ina Garten has a new elevated spin on avocado toast, and I recently made the recipe at home.
- Her avocado and fried egg tartines also include roasted prosciutto and toasted sourdough bread.
I began making my way through Ina Garten's breakfast recipes exactly a year ago.
After almost nine months of pandemic life, I was bored of my usual breakfast-at-home routine (on top of my everything-at-home routine) and decided to mix things up with the help of the Barefoot Contessa.
First, I tried Garten's smashed eggs on toast, an easy twist on a classic brunch dish. Then I tried her breakfast sandwich, which featured deliciously fluffy eggs cooked in the microwave. And how could I forget Garten's super light and flavorful breakfast tacos?
So when I heard Garten had released a brand-new breakfast recipe, I headed straight to the kitchen.
Garten's new breakfast recipe is an elevated twist on avocado toast.
The recipe for Garten's avocado and fried egg tartine appears in the republished version of "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," which originally came out in 1999.
Garten reveals in the recipe's description that this avocado and fried egg tartine is always her first choice "for a quick and satisfying breakfast or lunch."
"I mash some avocados, toast the bread, a little prosciutto (or not if I'm in a hurry!) and fry some eggs," she writes. "These tartines have great flavor, they're vegetable, protein, and starch, and I'm a happy camper."
I had already made two bonus recipes from Garten's republished cookbook — her brown-butter skillet corn bread and overnight mac and cheese — and they both tasted incredible. So I had very high hopes for her version of avocado toast.
Here's how it all turned out.
Garten's avocado and fried egg tartines only require a few simple ingredients.
To make Garten's recipe for four, you'll need:
- 4 slices of prosciutto
- 4 large (½-inch thick) slices of rustic bread, such as sourdough
- 4 eggs
- 2 ripe Haas avocados, halved and pitted
- 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon of Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- Microgreens or baby arugula
First, I prepped the prosciutto.
I preheated the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and placed my prosciutto on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Garten recommends roasting the prosciutto for seven to nine minutes, until it starts to brown. So I set a timer and popped the pan into the oven.
Then I placed four slices of bread onto a second sheet pan and threw those into the oven as well.
As with the prosciutto, I arranged the bread in one layer (I decided to mix things up and used two slices of sourdough and two slices of multigrain).
Garten's recipe says the bread should be toasted in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. She notes that the bread should be turned once during the cooking process, so I set a timer for seven minutes to remind myself.
While the bread and prosciutto got going in the oven, I started the avocado mixture.
I first scooped out the avocados using a spoon and added them to a bowl.
Then I squeezed some fresh lemon juice.
I was able to get 2 tablespoons of juice from a small lemon.
I added my lemon juice and Sriracha to the avocado mixture, along with salt and pepper.
Garten's recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
I roughly mashed everything together with a fork.
I pressed down on the mixture with the fork's prongs to get that chunky texture that's perfect for avocado toast.
After nine minutes, my prosciutto was ready. Three minutes later, my bread slices were ready too.
The prosciutto looked perfectly roasted with its crimson color and crispy texture.
Since Garten's eggs cook quickly, I waited to fry them until the bread had toasted so I could serve the tartines immediately once the eggs were ready.
Then I started frying my eggs.
Garten recommends frying all four of your eggs over medium heat in a 12-inch sauté pan, cracking each egg on opposite sides of the pan.
I decided to fry two eggs at a time instead, sprinkling each one with some salt and pepper. Per Garten's recipe, I cooked the eggs for one minute, until the whites started to set, then turned the heat to medium-low and covered the pan. (Pro tip: Garten says you can use a larger pan or even a sheet pan if you don't have a lid.)
I cooked the eggs for three more minutes, until the whites were completely set but the yolks were still runny. This trick made my fried eggs look perfect, and was definitely worth the minimal extra effort.
Once the eggs were done, I began building my tartines.
I evenly spread the avocado mixture on the bread slices before I began cooking my eggs so they'd be ready to go.
Then I carefully placed each egg right on top.
After adding the prosciutto and some baby arugula on top, my tartines were ready — and they looked beautiful.
What I love about Ina Garten's elevated twist on avocado toast is the amount of color the tartines bring to the breakfast table. You've got the bold green from the avocado, the sunshine yellow of the egg yolk, and that burst of crimson from the roasted prosciutto.
They just look so fresh and healthy, and are definitely Instagram-worthy.
Garten's avocado and fried egg tartines were so delicious, they've become my new favorite "Barefoot Contessa" breakfast.
Garten's fresh spin on avocado toast is so simple to make, but she adds those special touches that make the recipe special. The roasted prosciutto adds some great crunch, the eggs are cooked perfectly thanks to her special frying trick, and the lemon juice and Sriracha give the avocado both a lift and a kick. Each bite is full of flavor, and the tartines somehow have the freshness of a summer dish while still being comforting enough to get you through winter.
And since the dish is so simple, you can easily make it on whatever day of the week. Who doesn't love a recipe that's perfect for any time and season?
I have no doubt I'll be making Garten's avocado and fried egg tartines again and again.
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