Traditional Bird-in-a-Nest:
I initially found this alternate recipe on YouTube and modified per the ingredients I had on hand and personal preference/taste.
Ingredients for two servings:
3 slices of bread (white bread used in the video, I used some Keto bread the wife buys)
150 ml milk (I used whole milk but go with low fat if you prefer)
2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated.
1 cup shredded hash brown potatoes (original recipe used 1/3 of a sweet potato, grated)
5-6 stalks, green onion - diced
Shredded cheese to taste. This was not in the recipe. I blended Fiery Jack (below) and Cheddar.
Oil as needed for browning the potatoes and frying the nests. The recipe calls for vegetable oil but I fried some bacon to go with and used some of the rendered grease for frying.
Process:
Place bread in a wide bowl, pour the milk over it and break up into small chunks using a spatula (see note below regarding bread crust).
Pour egg whites over the bread and mix in. (See change note below first)
Add green onions and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste then mix thoroughly.
Place a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Spread hash browns evenly in the skillet. I sprinkled a healthy amount of Tony Chachere's "More Spice" Creole Seasoning (optional). Cover with a lid and cook 3-4 minutes without touching them. Flip hash browns over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or as needed for desired browning. Add to the nest mixture.
Using your spatula, divide the mixture into two equal portions. Place a bit of oil in your skillet over medium heat. Place one portion of the nest mixture in the skillet and use a spatula to from it into a thick round patty. Use a spoon to press down the center to form a shallow depression and place one of the egg yolks in the nest. Place a lid on the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes (I used 4 minutes). Take the lid off and turn the nest over with egg intact. Put the lid back in place and cook for another additional 2-3 minutes (I did 2 1/2).
Take it up and plate it. Enjoy!
Original recipe:
I initially found this alternate recipe on YouTube and modified per the ingredients I had on hand and personal preference/taste.
Ingredients for two servings:
3 slices of bread (white bread used in the video, I used some Keto bread the wife buys)
150 ml milk (I used whole milk but go with low fat if you prefer)
2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated.
1 cup shredded hash brown potatoes (original recipe used 1/3 of a sweet potato, grated)
5-6 stalks, green onion - diced
Shredded cheese to taste. This was not in the recipe. I blended Fiery Jack (below) and Cheddar.
Oil as needed for browning the potatoes and frying the nests. The recipe calls for vegetable oil but I fried some bacon to go with and used some of the rendered grease for frying.
Process:
Place bread in a wide bowl, pour the milk over it and break up into small chunks using a spatula (see note below regarding bread crust).
Pour egg whites over the bread and mix in. (See change note below first)
Add green onions and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste then mix thoroughly.
Place a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Spread hash browns evenly in the skillet. I sprinkled a healthy amount of Tony Chachere's "More Spice" Creole Seasoning (optional). Cover with a lid and cook 3-4 minutes without touching them. Flip hash browns over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or as needed for desired browning. Add to the nest mixture.
Using your spatula, divide the mixture into two equal portions. Place a bit of oil in your skillet over medium heat. Place one portion of the nest mixture in the skillet and use a spatula to from it into a thick round patty. Use a spoon to press down the center to form a shallow depression and place one of the egg yolks in the nest. Place a lid on the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes (I used 4 minutes). Take the lid off and turn the nest over with egg intact. Put the lid back in place and cook for another additional 2-3 minutes (I did 2 1/2).
Take it up and plate it. Enjoy!
- Changes I would make for the future:
- Blend eggs with the milk before pouring over the bread. Following the recipe it was difficult to thoroughly incorporate the eggs after the bread was already soaked.
- Tear or cut crust off bread slices and tear/cut into small chunks before pouring the milk/egg mixture.
- Use 3 large eggs. Use the whites of all and one yolk in the nest mixture. This would be to help the nest stay more intact when flipping to cook the other side. I had issues with this even using a large and wide spatula.
- Use white bread. I suspect the Keto bread contributed to the lack of stickiness needed to keep the nest intact when flipping.
- Possibly add some cooked breakfast sausage to the nest mixture (broken up into small chunks).
Original recipe:
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