My Happy Dish

A pairing from the gods

Food + Styling + Photography by Paul Lowe

Lemon + eggs = divine inspiration

At least once a week I get asked, “What’s your favorite ingredient?” The answer is always the same: the simple egg. For years, now my days have started with three eggs, any style: soft scrambled, boiled, sunny-side up. I love them all.

The other day I was at my favorite coffee bar near my home in Kingston, New York, and the owner gave me a special treat—a jar of his homemade lemon and garlic butter—made with organic butter, salt, lemon zest, and a little garlic. I used it to cook a piece of trout, and the result was pure delight.

This morning, I was making usual eggs, and the only butter I had left in the house was the lemon-garlic butter. So I melted a big slab in the pan, and added some fresh oregano. Then I cracked my eggs into it, and let the heat work its magic. (The secret to perfect eggs is medium, never high, heat.)

The result was incredible, delicious eggs with an herby, lemony flavor, and a faint whisper garlic. I had never thought to combine lemons with eggs before, but I will eat my eggs this way every morning from now on. It’s often the simplest things that will amaze you.

Lemon and Oregano Butter with Fried Eggs

MAKES ABOUT 2 STICKS OF BUTTER

• 2 sticks unsalted organic butter, room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt grated zest from

• 1 lemon

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

For the butter

1. Stir all the ingredients together, andplace in a jar with a tight lid.

2. Store in the fridge.

For the eggs

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a panover medium heat.

4. Add 10 to 20 fresh oregano leavesto the butter.

5. Crack eggs into buttered pan, andcook until preferred doneness.

6. Transfer the eggs to plates, andpour any extra melted butter from thepan on top of the eggs.

Serve with crusty country-stylebread to soak up that amazing butter.