Bunless Burgers with Eggs on Horseback--French & English Recipes

{here it is in all its deliciousness}

 
Today's recipe is famously Parisian. You can probably find this on the menu of any sidewalk cafe. The French don't eat eggs at breakfast like we're used to doing. They elevate the humble egg to lunch and dinner and serve it in ingenious ways. For me, a crazy egg lover, this makes perfect sense. I look for any opportunity to try a new egg recipe.

Remember the Parisian oeuf en croute?

I'm thinking of serving our bunless burgers with eggs riding horseback outside on the terrace with salad, fries (with mayonnaise of course) and a carafe of red wine. You should do the same and imagine you're on holiday in the City of Lights.

Bunless Burgers with Eggs on Horseback

1 1/2 lbs. ground meat, the best you can find or buy equal amount of chuck steak and grind it yourself

4 tsp unsalted butter

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

4 eggs

1/2 tsp sunflower oil

8 anchovies (optional)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp capers 

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat parsley

salt & pepper

Mix the Worcestershire sauce in the ground beef and form four hamburger patties. Hide one teaspoon of butter inside each burger patty.

Put the burgers on a hot grill for three minutes per side. Check for doneness. If you made your own burger patties you can cook them more on the rare side. I'll cook mine medium rare here in France.

Remove the cooked burger patties to a plate and cover with foil. Let them rest while you cook the eggs.

Put the sunflower oil in a skillet big enough for all four eggs and let it heat until it runs along the bottom of the skillet. Gently crack the eggs in and let them cook sunny side up until the whites are firm. If you prefer you can turn them and cook for 30 seconds to a minute more to solidify the yolk a bit more. 

Put the eggs and two anchovies on each of the cooked hamburger patties. Cover.

Immediately make the sauce.

Heat four tablespoons of butter in a skillet just until the butter begins to foam. Add in the drained capers and chopped parsley and combine. 

Pour equal amounts of sauce on each burger, egg and anchovy stack.

Serve immediately.