These Egg Recipes Will Change the Way You Cook in Small, Powerful Ways - WSJ

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm coconut oil. Add chiles, ginger, and garlic, and give things a stir until everything in the pan starts to get a little soft but hasn’t taken on any color, about 2 minutes. Add coriander, cardamom, and turmeric, and stir so the spices coat everything and become fragrant. This happens in seconds.Drop tomatoes into pan, season with a bit of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and squashing tomatoes so they burst and release their juices, 12-15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to soften so the sauce will thicken. Stir in coconut cream and give the sauce a taste. It will probably need another pinch of salt.Use the back of a spoon to make four little nests in the mixture, one for each egg. Crack an egg into each nest and season it with salt. Cover skillet with a lid. (A baking sheet works as well if you don’t have a lid that fits.) Cook, covered, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and scatter basil over everything. Serve eggs and sauce straight from the skillet, with flatbread to scoop and mop.

Step 2

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and set it near the stove. Put garlic and neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, shaking pan often, until garlic is lightly golden and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Strain oil through the strainer into the bowl. Dump garlic chips onto a small plate and season with salt. (The garlic oil and chips can be made 1 day ahead. Store in separate airtight containers at room temperature.)Pour half the garlic oil back into the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add rice and sesame oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and lots of pepper, then let it get crisp underneath, without fussing with it, 3-4 minutes. Once rice begins to crisp up, give it a toss, then press down on it and cook until you get more golden crispy pieces underneath, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer rice to a platter or plates.Wipe out skillet, pour in remaining garlic oil, and place over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet, being careful as they may spatter at first. Season each egg with salt and fry, rotating pan to encourage even cooking, until edges are lacy and crisp, whites are set and yolks are still runny, 3-5 minutes. Spoon some rice vinegar on top of fried rice. Scatter cilantro and garlic chips over. Top with eggs and serve.

Step 3

Pull the eggs out of the fridge to come to room temperature while you do some prep, so they’re less likely to crack while boiling. Fill a medium saucepan three-fourths full with water, and bring it to a boil.While the water comes to a boil, in a small bowl, stir together scallions, sesame seeds, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Use the back of a spoon to smash the scallions against the side of the bowl a bit to get them to break down. Set aside.In another small bowl, stir together aioli and mustard. Season with salt.Fill a medium bowl with ice and add enough water so the eggs will be submerged. Have your timer ready. Turn down the heat and bring the boiling water to a gentle simmer. Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower eggs into water. Boil for 8 minutes on the dot. Use the slotted spoon to transfer eggs to ice-water bath, and let them sit for a minute or so.One by one, whack each egg all over with the spoon and return it to the ice water. Cracking the shells and letting the eggs get one more stint in the ice bath helps loosen the shells from the egg whites, making them easy to peel. Peel the eggs, then slice them crosswise into thick rounds.6. Slather the mustardy mayonnaise on all four slices of bread, then top two of the slices with eggs. Spoon scallion sauce over eggs, then top with remaining bread. Slice—or don’t!—the sandwiches however you like, and serve right away.