Your Weekend Treat: Eggs Italiano

I slept in today. Not until 8 or 9. Until 10:30. This was an exhausting week and I deserved it. But that meant breakfast was late. It was almost lunchtime. Perfect...an excuse to make brunch. No cereal or smoothie for me today. I needed something hearty. Of course, I could have fixed Eggs Benedict. But I decided to experiment. Opened the refrigerator and found some leftover polenta from dinner a couple of nights ago. Also a spare slice of prosciutto. And, of course, I always have Parmesan and eggs on hand. (You might not always keep those things in your pantry, but this is worth planning ahead and going to the grocery store the night before.) The resulting meal was deliciously filling. Creamy egg yolks running over rich polenta. With the sharp salty bite of Parmesan and prosciutto to balance it all. I have no idea if they make this in farmhouses in Tuscany, but they should!

Eggs Italiano

Polenta*

2 eggs

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 or 2 thin slices of prosciutto

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a saute pan, heat olive oil. Break eggs into pan and fry for 4 or 5 minutes. (You want the yolks still slightly runny, but the edges should be slightly browned. You can help the yolks cook by spooning the hot oil onto the top of the eggs every now and then.)

Remove eggs from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate.

In a bowl, place a cup or so of heated polenta. Place the eggs on top and drop the prosciutto onto the side of it all. Garnish with a shaving of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* To make polenta, heat 4 cups water or chicken broth in sauce pan. When liquid is boiling, pour 1 cup polenta into pan in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce heat slightly and simmer, stirring often, until polenta is to desired consistency. (I let mine go for ten to fifteen minutes.)