Egg in the basket, which is also known by many other names, is an
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...
fried in a hole in a slice of
bread
Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...
.
Description
The dish consists of a slice of bread with an egg in the middle, fried with butter or oil.
It is commonly prepared by cutting a circular or square hole in the center of a piece of bread, which may be buttered. The bread is
fried in a pan with
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
,
margarine
Margarine (, also , ) is a Spread (food), spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The ...
,
cooking oil
Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...
, or other fat. At some point, an egg is cracked into the hole in the bread. When the egg is added to the bread determines how well-done the egg and bread will be relative to each other in the final product. The pan may be covered or the bread flipped while on the heat to obtain even cooking. A
waffle
A waffle is a dish made from leavened Batter (cooking), batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron ...
or
bagel
A bagel (; ; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked. ...
(with a large enough hole) can be substituted for the slice of bread.
[AuntiBagel.com:]
The Elephant Egg Bagel
."
Names and origins
A recipe for "egg with a hat" appeared in Fannie Farmer's ''
Boston Cooking School Cookbook'' in the 1890s.
Italian immigrants to the US cooked a similar dish called ''uova fritte nel pane.''
There are many names for the dish; some discussions include as many as a dozen, and one writer reported finding "close to one hundred".
The name
toad in the hole is sometimes used for this dish, though that name more commonly refers to sausages cooked in
Yorkshire pudding
Yorkshire pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk or water. A common English side dish, it is a versatile food that can be served in numerous ways depending on its ingredients, size, and the accompanying compone ...
batter.
The dish has made many appearances in film and television.
The dish is also known as Guy Kibbee eggs, due to its preparation by actor
Guy Kibbee
Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor.
Early years
Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...
in the 1935 Warner Bros film ''
Mary Jane's Pa''.
In the 1941 film ''
Moon Over Miami'', it is prepared by
Betty Grable's character and referred to as "gashouse eggs".
It was also featured in the 1987 film ''
Moonstruck
''Moonstruck'' is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and written by John Patrick Shanley. It stars Cher as a widowed Italian-American woman who falls in love with her fiancé's hot-tempered, estranged younger broth ...
'', the 2005 film ''
V for Vendetta
''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (comics), David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing Serial (li ...
'', and a 1996 episode of ''
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
''.
Author
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...
wrote numerous times of his fondness for the dish, which he referred to as hot-house eggs.
See also
*
French toast
French toast is a Dish (food), dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs as food, eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).''Oxfo ...
*
Fried egg
*
Khachapuri
*
List of bread dishes
*
List of egg dishes
This is a list of notable egg dishes and beverages. Egg as food, Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including bird egg, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years.Kenneth F. Kiple, ...
*
List of toast dishes
Toast (food), Toast is sliced bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. It appears as a main ingredient in many dishes, often as a base on which other food is served.
Toast dishes
* Avocado toast – mashed avocado on toast. A ...
References
{{eggs
Egg dishes
Bread dishes