Le Petit-Déjeuner-My French Breakfast
Every year I am fortunate to spend a few month in France. My favorite day is market day! I go with open eyes and buy what looks amazing and fresh. This determines what I will cook for the next few days.
Today was market day. I went early and bought fresh French breakfast radishes with their greens, porcini mushrooms, boeuf tomatoes (like a beefsteak tomato), and farm eggs to make a simple and fresh breakfast or le petit-déjeuner. This is something that starts with an egg, some greens, a tomato, and something meaty, like mushrooms and ends with a colorful and flavor balanced breakfast that will put a smile on your face and a warm meal in your tummy.
To get started, gather up these ingredients. I will offer a few substitutes for the ingredients I chose at the market so you can bring France to your breakfast table. This should serve two handsomely.
Salted butter
1 bunch radishes with greens-radishes thinly sliced; greens washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
2 eggs
8 large porcini mushrooms (or whatever mushrooms you can get your hands on)-sliced to a 1/4” slices
1 large big beef or other silky fleshed tomato-Cored, cut in half vertically, and sliced in 1/2” slices
salt and pepper
crusty bread
a cup or carafe of coffee
Get your coffee ready so it will be hot and fresh when breakfast is ready to serve. Put your break in a basket on the table with salty, room temperature butter on the side. Core and slice your tomato and set aside.
Heat a large non-stick or well seasoned frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of butter. Once the butter begins to melt add the sliced radishes and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat up to brown the radishes, about 3 minutes cooking time. Once the radishes are browned, add the greens and a few good grinds of black pepper. Gently stir the radishes and greens until the greens are soft and wilted, about 1-2 minute. Remove the radishes and greens to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Add a 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the frying pan, when it begins to melt, add the sliced mushrooms, a pinch of salt, and cook until they begin to release their liquid and soften, about 3 minutes. Move them to the edge of the pan and continue to cook while you fry your eggs. .
Reduce the heat to medium. The pan should be seasoned with butter from the mushrooms, but if it is dry, add a little more butter to prevent the eggs from sticking. When the butter has melted, carefully crack you eggs so they are separated and have room to fry. season with pepper and a bit of salt. allow to cook to your preferred level, I like my eggs over easy so the yolk is cooked on top and a bit runny on the inside.
While the eggs finish cooking, prepare you plates. Place a few slices of tomato in a third section of each plate and lightly salt them. Place the radishes and greens in the second third of the plate, and the mushrooms in the final third. Place your fried egg in the center of each plate (overlapping the edges of each of the apportioned vegetables). Serve immediately with hot coffee and crusty bread. Bon appetit.