Portobello mushrooms are stuffed with sauteed spinach, tomatoes and smoked gouda, becoming the perfect backdrop for a perfectly cooked runny egg yolk.
"The burst" is a thing of legend in our house. It started when I was a kid, passed on to me by my Dad, and has now been passed on to my own children.
Now that I've built it up, the reality of "the burst" may seem a little silly, but let me assure you that it is a treasured breakfast tradition in our house, something that is talked about with reverence.
Ever since my kids were little, and even well before that, I've made a fried egg on toast for breakfast a couple of times each week. The boys watched me carefully cut away and eat the egg white and toast surrounding the soft yolk. They eyed me across the table as they munched on their cereal or peanut butter toast, not wanting to miss the finale.
"Watch, watch! She going to do it!" as they nudged each other simultaneously.
They watched, transfixed, as I scooped the whole yolk, balanced on a quarter-sized piece of toast, on my fork. I opened my mouth wide and slid in the whole bite. As I bit down, I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of the warm yolk bursting in my mouth.
The boys waited until I finished chewing, still watching me closely.
"Was it good, Mum?"
And then, hesitantly, "Do you think our mouths are big enough yet to try it?"
One weekend morning, I cooked three helpings of "egg with burst" and placed a plate in front of each of us.
The boys worked away at the egg white and toast, taking care not to pierce the yolk. We ate in unison, wanting to reach the yolk at the same time.
We balanced our yolks on toast on our forks, the boys' eyes huge with anticipation. We opened our mouth wide, slid in the yolk, closed our eyes and bit down at the same time.
I peeked at the boys, only to find my older son (M), then 5 years old, staring at me, wide eyes brimming with tears.
"What's wrong, bud?" I asked, worried that he was starting to choke, that the bite was too big for him.
"I don't like it, " he mumbled through his bite.
He ran to the garbage and spat it out, then sat back down, head hanging low. Tears silently slid down his cheeks.
"I wanted to like it so badly. I'm sorry I didn't like it, Mum," he whispered.
"Oh sweetie, it's okay. Not everybody likes it," I reassured him.
"I know. But I wanted to be able to eat egg with burst with you forever and ever."
His disappointment that day was heartfelt, exacerbated by his younger brother's immediate love of "egg with burst". It's been years since that day and M is determined to try it again one day. He tells me that he wants to make sure he's a little older so that his taste buds are really ready.
Food traditions evoke strong memories over a lifetime and can hold the key to stories and emotions that may otherwise be forgotten. Even though M and I don't share a love of this particular breakfast treat, we have built many other food memories, cooking together in our kitchen, indulging in epic sushi feasts at our favorite Japanese restaurant and sharing meals with family and friends.
Perhaps someday he will enjoy "egg with burst". Perhaps he won't. It doesn't really matter. We build memories everyday in and out of the kitchen, and those are the things we will hold dear for years to come.
While this recipe doesn't involve the usual buttered toast, the soft, runny egg yolk mimics that well-loved breakfast offering. Instead of toast, the eggs are carefully cracked onto a portobello mushrooms that is stuffed with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and spinach, and smoky Gouda cheese.
As the eggs bake, the portobello mushrooms soften to become a tender and flavorful backdrop for the sauteed vegetables, gooey melted cheese and perfectly cooked eggs.
I haven't dared to try sliding the whole yolk with the vegetables into my mouth all at once - at least, not in public. This is one of those times that cutting open the yolk at the beginning feels right. The yolk mixes with the filling and produces a silky, luxurious mouthfeel.
Almost as good as "egg with burst". Almost.
Other portobello mushroom recipes:
Roasted Portobello Mushroom with Cheese & Breadcrumb Topping
Southwestern Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Cumin Black Beans
Portobello Baked Eggs with Spinach & Smoked Gouda Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms
- cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ small onion chopped
- ½ small tomato chopped
- ¾ cup spinach cut into strips
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon 1 ounce shredded smoked Gouda cheese
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare the Portobello mushrooms by removing the stems and scraping out the gills with a spoon. Spray both sides of the mushrooms with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Pour out the liquid from each mushroom.
- Reduce the oven heat to 400 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Season with ground pepper and salt.
- Divide the tomato mixture between the mushrooms, making an indentation in the middle of the mixture. Sprinkle the Gouda cheese over top.
- Carefully crack an egg onto each mushroom, placing the yolk in the indentation.
- Bake until the egg whites are set, about 10 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
serwis
This recipe looks delicious!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
Oh my gosh - this story made me giggle and tear up all at the same time! Poor dude! I can just picture his face "I don’t like it" :'( These portabella bursts look beautiful and I'd be all over it! Thanks for including my recipe! <3
Kristi Rimkus
I was hunting around Pinterest and ran across this recipe. This is perfect for a small family brunch we're hosting. I'm drooling just looking at the photos.
Sommer @ASpicyPerspective
Smoked gouda just sounds amazing with this flavor intense breakfast! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Nutmeg Nanny
Hahaha my husband eats his egg yolk the exact same way! It always sorta grosses me out but he seems to really love it 🙂 LOVE the idea of stuffed mushrooms for breakfast. It looks so delicious....yum!
Heather | girlichef
Aw, sweet boy. 🙂 That's a great tradition, I will try it next time....IF I can keep myself from breaking the yolk early (it'll be hard). I love mine on toast, but this sounds equally delicious!
christine
Reading about your savoring that yolk has me craving a nice runny egg dish like this. My kids would NEVER eat a runny egg, it's a battle in my house at breakfast, the rest of the family only will eat scrambled eggs, scrambled! What's the point right?! This is totally something I'll be making myself on those mornings when I find alone time while the kids are at school and I splurge on breakfast for myself.
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella)
I have to confess that I've never eaten my eggs like that -- the yolk all at once. But I do so love runny yolks. And these mushrooms look amazing too!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
These look absolutely gorgeous - and I LOVE your story! So adorable. Personally I like cutting the yolk open so it soaks into the bread 😀
John
This looks very very yummy. It must bring forth some pretty intense flavour combinations. The presentation is just spectacular though. I will try it out next weekend.
Ginny McMeans
You are quite the entertainer with 'the burst'! Love the Portobello mushroom as a base.
Ciao florentina
That yolk looks AMAZING ! Yum!
Erin
I have some Portobello mushrooms that tasted just like steak. I can just imagine how nice this must be.
Lauren Kelly Nutrition
How sweet is your son? I want to try the burst! It sounds amazing!
The Food Hunter
This has my name written all over it....the perfect dish
Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom
What a sweet story of your boys! I think even sweeter your son felt so badly that he didnt like it! love your recipe!
Renee @ Tortillas and Honey
That is such a sweet story! I absolutely love runny egg yolks, but have never tried "the burst"! I also think that portobellos and fried runny eggs are a perfect combination. I will give this a try!
KalynsKitchen
I've never eaten a soft egg like that, but I'm positive I would love it! This sounds just fantastic.