Will we ever tire of egg-in-a-hole foods? No. No, we won't. And why would we—the egg-in-a-hole allows us to to mashup our favorite breakfast food (runny yolk, of course) inside anything that could possibly complement a fried egg. This egg-in-a-hole, waffle edition, takes the trend back to breakfast basics, placing a jammy egg in the center of a classic buttermilk waffle.
Mix up a batch of cornmeal-buttermilk waffle batter that yields crisp, slightly crunchy waffles. Unlike some other recipes, these cornmeal waffles won’t get soggy immediately after you pull them from the waffle iron. This makes the perfect sturdy base for frying an egg inside. Cut a hole in the center of each finished waffle and lay the waffle in a pan foaming with butter. Crack an egg into the hole, flip the waffle, and repeat to your heart’s content. Serve the waffles the traditional way, with a heavy pour of maple syrup, or get creative—this could be the beginning of a pretty epic breakfast sandwich.
Egg in a Waffle Hole
How to Make It
Break 2 eggs into a large mixing bowl; beat lightly. Add buttermilk and melted butter; whisk until smooth. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; whisk just until smooth.
Heat a waffle iron on medium according to manufacturer’s instructions. Coat with cooking spray. Add 1/3 cup batter to each quadrant. (Store remaining waffle batter in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.) Cook until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. (If you are making the waffles only, increase temperature of waffle iron to medium-high, and cook until golden brown.) Remove waffles from waffle iron, and cool slightly. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut a round from the center of each waffle. Discard rounds, or reserve for another use.
Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium until foamy. Place 2of the waffles in skillet; cook 1 minute. Break 1 egg into each waffle hole. Cook until egg whites are almost set and waffle is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn waffles, and sprinkle each egg with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until whites are set and yolks are still runny. Remove from skillet. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 waffles, 1/4 cup butter, 2 eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle with syrup.
