[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

A great breakfast sandwich can really set the tone for a solid weekend, but making them yourself can sometimes feel like a bit of an ordeal. Cooking bacon or sausage for an egg sandwich isn’t hard, but I don’t always want to start a lazy weekend morning by dodging bacon grease splatters and then dealing with the cleanup (including properly disposing of the fat). I often end up going meatless with the homemade egg sandwich, or I take a quick walk to the breakfast street cart at the end of my block for a no-cleanup B.E.C. (for the uninitiated, that stands for Bacon, Egg, and Cheese).

That was until I started making ‘nduja mayo and slathering it on my breakfast sandwiches. The salume‘s soft, spreadable texture and funky, porky flavor makes it perfect for folding into mayonnaise, giving it meaty richness with background heat from floral Calabrian chilies. It’s spicy mayo and sausage, combined. I am a firm believer that mayonnaise makes all breakfast sandwiches better, and this ‘nduja mayo is the perfect breakfast sandwich condiment.

To offset the double dose of egg yolk and overall richness of this sandwich, I turn to garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe; I often have leftover rabe kicking around in my fridge. The bitter greens are the perfect foil for the creamy mayo and runny fried egg yolk. Plus, sneaking some vegetables into a breakfast sandwich is a clear win in my book.

Why It Works

• The pleasant bitterness of sautéed broccoli complements the salty, funky, spicy tang of ‘nduja, and offsets the double dose of eggy richness from the fried eggs and mayonnaise.
• ‘Nduja mayonnaise gives fried egg breakfast sandwiches meaty richness without the need for cooking breakfast meats like bacon or sausage.
• Basting the eggs with hot fat allows them to cook and crisp on the outside in record time while keeping the yolks runny.

Ingredients

• 2 sesame seed buns or English muffins, split and toasted
• 1/4 cup (60g; 60ml) ‘nduja mayonnaise
• 1 cup (8 ounces; 225g) sautéed broccoli rabe, roughly chopped and warmed through
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter (see note)

Directions

1. 1.

   Lay toasted buns on work surface, and spread ‘nduja mayonnaise evenly on top and bottom halves. Using a slotted spoon or tongs to drain off excess moisture, evenly divide broccoli rabe between bottom bun halves. Set aside.

2. 2.

   In a 10-inch cast iron, carbon steel, or nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. (A small drop of water dropped into it should immediately sizzle.) Carefully break eggs into hot oil, dropping them from right above the surface to prevent hot oil from splashing. Season with salt and pepper.

3. 3.

   Slide eggs to back of skillet, opposite handle, and add butter to front of skillet. Once butter has melted and begun to foam, hold skillet handle, and tilt skillet towards you so butter-oil mixture pools near base of handle. Using a spoon, baste eggs with hot fat, aiming at the uncooked portions of the egg whites and avoiding the yolk. Continue basting until eggs are puffy and cooked, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Using a spatula, transfer one egg to each bottom bun half, carefully laying them on top of broccoli rabe. Close sandwiches with top bun halves, and serve immediately.

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