Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but rarely do I ever eat it in the actual morning. I wake up and make myself a smoothie, or if I'm especially lazy I'll just have a cup of drip until lunch time. The truth is, I'm not ready for a stomach bomb first thing in the morning, but by 11…bring it on!
The breakfast sandwich is the perfect 11 am (or elevensies, if you're a Hobbit) meal. Kind of lunch, kind of breakfast, definitely not brunch, it's a meal Chimera, a the best bits of everything, sandwiched between two pieces of toast. This month, I'm celebrating the 11 am eaters, the gooey egg lovers, the crunchy toast devourers. Breakfast sandwich lovers, raise your forks, our time has come!
A melt might not seem like a typical breakfast sandwich; where's the egg? no bacon? But when you put it into the realm of brunch, well, it fits right in.
This is why I love brunch. It's an inclusive culinary force, grabbing the best bits and pieces from breakfast, lunch, and dessert, and topping them off with mimosas or bloody marys. You can choose your own adventure on the menu. I found myself in that situation at brunch a few months ago, with my adorable foodie friend Jackie. We popped into Superba Snack Bar, a spot in Venice helmed by Jason Neroni. Jason, who you might remember from the gluten free episode of Food for Thought, is an amazing chef, and my meal at Superba was way overdue. We ordered ridiculously, (a pasta dish, pancakes, biscuits, patatas bravas, and a crab melt with chips) and were not disappointed. The crab melt was a favorite of mine, as it covered the crunchy, gooey, cheesy, savory qualities I love. So this is my version of one of my brunch favorites. Thanks for the inspiration, Jason!
Crab Melt
For 2
1/2 lb lump crab meat
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional)
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (more if you want it spicy)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon, plus more for garnish, finely chopped chives
jarlsberg cheese, sliced
2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
Pre heat oven to 400F.
Whisk together the egg, and ingredients for the crab mixture. Gently fold in the crabmeat, taking care again to not break up the lumps of crab meat. Spoon onto the two slices of toast, top with a slice of jarlsberg, and bake for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat to broil, and broil until bubbling and lightly browned (about 3 minutes). Garnish with chives.
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