Carmel Valley Eggs

Whenever I visit my parents in Carmel I always make sure to eat as many eggs as possible as my mother has a beautiful chicken coop filled with beautiful European chickens that lay beautiful multi-colored speckled eggs. Over the holidays we had 11 people staying at the Simms Compound and when the group is large like that it is best to make something that everyone can enjoy versus trying to make individual egg dishes for each person. One of our favorite breakfasts is Carmel Valley Eggs.  This dish is all about building layers of flavor. 

You start with a big skillet. Saute onions and shallots. Add a bag of diced fingerling potatoes (we used purple and gold fingerlings that we first tossed in olive oil, grainy mustard, and rosemary before they hit the pan).  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs (we used rosemary from my mom's garden but if you want something less potent you can use chives or thyme or sage, etc).  Once the potatoes are golden brown and crispy you crack eggs into them and place the entire skillet into a 400 degree oven. Once the eggs are almost fully cooked (this dish tastes best with medium cooked eggs : hard whites and runny yolks) you pull the skillet out and top with your favorite shredded cheese (we used cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and gruyere) and then place the skillet back in oven until cheese is bubbly and golden.  Everyone serves themselves and then adds their choice of condiment (IE sriracha, ketchup, salsa, sour cream, A-1, tabasco, pepper plant, etc). Serve this dish with smoked bacon or chicken apple sausage on the side. 

Happy Sunday!