Cooking for two

Crispy eggs with fried parmesan top radicchio salad

Crispy Parmesan Eggs With Radicchio and Pea Salad
Photo by David Malosh (The New York Times)
Crispy Parmesan Eggs With Radicchio and Pea Salad Photo by David Malosh (The New York Times)

I once asked a famous chef what his favorite food was, expecting an answer along the lines of caviar or foie gras or sea snail broth sipped from a shell.

He said fried cheese.

The wisdom of his words was profound. Because no matter the incarnation — whether mozzarella sticks, cheese curds or those thin wafers of grated parmesan or asiago called frico — there are few things more deliciously craveable than a bite of molten fried cheese.

This recipe celebrates the lighter side of fried cheese, starring here as a golden crust for eggs. Crunchy and brittle, a fricolike halo envelops the fried eggs, giving them a potato chip appeal with a salty, funky depth. Take one bite and you may never fry up plain eggs again, not when the cheesy version is so easy to make.

You'll need a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast-iron pan. Heat it thoroughly before brushing on a thin layer of oil, so you can be sure the parmesan won't stick. But don't add too much oil or the eggs will be greasy. Properly fried cheese is all about balance.

Another thing to note: It's important to sprinkle coarse strands of parmesan into the pan, preferably cheese that you've shredded using the largest holes of your grater (it's less than a cup, so grating moves quickly). The preground stuff is too powdery and won't give you the same lacy perimeter. If you don't have a wedge of parmesan, other hard cheeses will work; try asiago, grana padano or crumbly aged cheddar.

After frying, the gorgeous, brown-edged eggs are heaped onto a lemony salad filled with crisp vegetables — radicchio, sugar snap peas and cucumber — to accentuate the crunch. I call for blanching the peas, which makes them a little more tender and encourages them to soak up the dressing. But if you're looking to skip a step, skip this one; just slice the raw sugar snaps a little more thinly so they're easy to chew.

Then, if you love anchovies, drape them over the salad before serving. They add a saline verve that counters all the richness from the runny egg yolks. (Capers or sliced olives add a similar tang if anchovies aren't your thing.) Or leave them off altogether.

The parmesan fried eggs will easily shine all by themselves.

Crispy Parmesan Eggs With Radicchio and Pea Salad

Fine sea salt

1½ cups sugar snap peas, trimmed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 small garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste

Large pinch of red-pepper flakes

Ground black pepper

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing pan

½ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons coarsely grated (not ground) parmesan

4 eggs

1 medium head radicchio, cored and torn into bite-size pieces

¼ cup sliced pitted black olives, such as Kalamata

½ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup sliced cucumber, preferably Persian or mini

8 oil-packed anchovy filets, optional

Fill a bowl with water and ice. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and blanch for 1 minute. Drain the peas well and add to ice water to cool for a minute or two. Drain, pat dry, and halve the peas.

Combine lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and red-pepper flakes in small mixing bowl. Whisk in the ⅓ cup olive oil, then taste and add more lemon juice or salt, or both, if needed. Set aside.

Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom of a 10-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and place over medium heat. Sprinkle ½ cup parmesan in an even layer covering the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes until cheese begins to melt.

Crack eggs onto cheese, then cover pan and cook until eggs are starting to set but are not cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and turn heat to medium-high to finish cooking eggs for another 1 to 2 minutes, until edges are crisp and golden brown. Make sure the cheese doesn't get too brown; if it goes past light golden, turn down heat.

Season eggs with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan, snap peas, radicchio, olives, cherry tomatoes and cucumber with the dressing. Taste and add salt or lemon juice, if needed. To serve, spread radicchio salad on large serving platter and place eggs on top. Grind on more pepper and garnish with anchovy filets if you'd like.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Food on 07/17/2019

Upcoming Events