Dan Barber's Bacon and Eggs Recipe (2024)

Bacon & Eggs

"It's egg meets pig, and both are at their best."
—Dan Barber, Executive Chef, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown, New York

As I tour the acres of farmland and pasture that surround Blue Hill at Stone Barns, it's easy to see why Dan Barber knows bacon and eggs. The eggs he uses at the restaurant come from portable chicken houses at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Back in the restaurant's kitchen, Barber mentions that his bacon is cured and smoked in-house. So it's no surprise that when he sets out to make a bacon-and-egg breakfast, Barber isn't content with simply frying them up in a skillet. "It's about creating a play off the classic combination of ham, eggs, and cheese," he says. So he soft-boils those superlative eggs, wraps them in thin rashers of beautiful bacon, and coats the whole deal in cheese and bread crumbs. A quick minute in hot oil and the eggs emerge crispy on the outside but molten within. "I call these eggs 'green' because that's how you should buy your eggs—pasture-raised and organic," Barber says. He cuts into the center of an egg, and bright-orange yolk spills out over a plateful of mixed greens. "You'll see and taste the difference."

"Green" Eggs and Ham
What you'll need

Grapeseed oil, for frying
4 whole eggs plus 1 beaten egg
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp ground toasted almonds
2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Mesclun greens, for serving
4 slices thin-cut bacon, halved crosswise to make 8 pieces (see "Flatten Your Pork")

How to make it:
1. Fill a small pot with enough oil to submerge an egg, and set it over medium heat (use a cooking thermometer; the oil should eventually hover at 370°F). Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the four eggs into the water and cook them for 6 minutes. Remove them with the slotted spoon and place them into the ice bath. When they're cool, carefully peel and set them aside.

2. Arrange your breading station: In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, almonds, and Parmesan. Place the flour in another small bowl and beat the egg in a third bowl.

3. Lay a slice of bacon on a cutting board. Place an egg at one end of the slice and roll it, wrapping the bacon around the egg as you go. Place a second slice of bacon on the board and roll the same egg down it; the second slice should wrap any uncovered area. Do the same with the remaining three eggs.

4. Dip each egg first into the flour, then into the beaten egg, and finally into the bread crumb mixture, shaking off the excess. Using the slotted spoon, lower two of the eggs into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Place them on paper towels to drain, and season them well with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Serve hot on a bed of mesclun. Makes 2 servings