Thoughts from the mister: My egg obsession

I'm shocked that I'm about to type these words, but today Scott is guest posting. Yes, my Scott. The man who eschews all things technological and that are therefore somehow intrusive to his private life, the one whose Facebook I created, who grumbled whenever I'd text him, and whose eyes roll when I talk about my blog. That Scott. So sit down and try to savor this moment. It's like a rare astronomical event — who knows if or when it will happen again.

As a kid I preferred my eggs scrambled with an abundance of cheese. I eventually grew into eating them fried, but, at my request, my mother would mangle the yolk and cook it into oblivion. I don’t actually remember the first time I indulged in a runny yolk, but to my matured tongue it must have been a revelation. These days I enjoy an egg on anything. Seriously anything. Fried, poached, or soft boiled, an egg is the perfect topping. Who needs a sauce when it can be replaced with a rich and viscous egg yolk? Chef and food writer Anthony Bourdin has proudly called himself an “egg slut,” and I would make the same observation of myself.

During a recent visit to Oxford, Miss., Jennifer and I enjoyed a fabulous meal at James Beard-award-winning Chef John Currence’s nightspot Snackbar. I indulged in the Duck Confit Croque Monsieur. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the French classic, croque monsieur is the French version of a hot ham and cheese sandwich, made with a gruyere béchamel sauce and ham, served on toasted bread. Currence’s version replaces the ham with duck confit and includes the addition of homemade pickles.

At Snackbar the Duck Confit Croque is offered two ways, Monsieur and Madame — Monsieur being the classic way and Madame adding a runny, fried egg. Yes, I said it, a runny, fried egg. The Madame was something I could not pass up. The dish was spot on in both flavor and texture, delivering a hearty richness with the duck and egg and balanced with the fresh tart pickles and whole grain mustard. The meal was an egg lovers dream, and my compliments to Currence on his reinterpretation of the French classic.

There is something magical about the maturing and changing of taste buds, allowing the discovery of new foods and new food obsessions. As far as my taste buds go, I know which came first between the chicken and the egg, and I am so happy that my taste buds chose the best for last. For those of you that live scrabbled and hard lives, loosen up! Take a chance on the beautiful uncompromised joy of a runny egg. Your taste buds might surprise you, giving birth to a food obsession.