Soft-Boiled Eggs With Anchovy Butter Toast

An Improvised Recipe for Savory, Sporty Breakfast

Overview

This "no-recipe" recipe celebrates culinary improvisation: a rich, umami-packed anchovy butter elevates toasted bread, paired with perfectly soft-boiled eggs. The result is a bold, satisfying breakfast with flexible ingredients—tweak flavors to taste while embracing the core balance of briny, buttery, and zesty notes.

Ingredients (Adjust to Preference)

For Anchovy Butter (Makes ~1/2 Cup)

• 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (30–45 minutes; or cut into small cubes for faster softening)

• 1 small can (50g) anchovies in brine/olive oil, drained and rinsed (optional: keep 1 tsp oil for richness)

• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1/4–1/2 tsp smoked or regular paprika (adjust for heat/richness)

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (balance saltiness; optional: omit for less acidity)

• Pinch of salt (optional; omit if anchovies are salty)

For Soft-Boiled Eggs

• 2–4 fresh eggs (per serving)

For Toasted Bread

• 4–6 slices crusty bread (e.g., sourdough, brioche, or country loaf; toasted until golden-crisp)

Instructions

1. Prepare Anchovy Butter

• In a bowl, combine softened butter with minced anchovies, garlic, paprika, and lemon juice. Stir with a fork until smooth and evenly mixed. Taste and adjust: add salt if needed, or extra lemon for brightness.

2. Toast Bread & Butter "Wall-to-Wall"

• Toast bread until crisp on the outside, tender inside. Immediately spread anchovy butter generously across every slice, ensuring full coverage ("wall-to-wall"—edge-to-edge, no gaps). This technique (from chef Gabrielle Hamilton) ensures every bite delivers the butter’s depth.

3. Soft-Boiled Eggs

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently lower eggs into the water, reduce heat to simmer, and set a timer:

• 6 minutes: Silky, runny yolk (ideal for this dish).

• 7 minutes: Slightly thicker yolk (still soft, less liquid).

• Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 1–2 minutes to stop cooking. Peel carefully, keeping the white intact and yolk creamy.

4. Optional: Soft-Scrambled Eggs

• For an extra layer, whisk 2 eggs with 1 tbsp milk/cream, salt, and pepper. In a non-stick pan, melt 1 tsp butter over low heat, pour in eggs, and stir slowly until just set (2–3 minutes). Serve alongside the toast.

Serving & Style

Serve the buttered toast with soft-boiled eggs (or scrambled eggs) immediately. The dish’s "sporty" (energizing) profile—briny from anchovies, buttery from the spread, tangy from lemon—makes it perfect for active mornings.

Chef’s Note

This is a recipe to adapt: add more garlic, omit paprika, or swap bread for sourdough. The key is embracing the "no-recipe" spirit—experiment and enjoy!

Sam Sifton’s weekly "no-recipe" column appears in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up for more improvisational recipes here.

(Source: Original concept inspired by Fergus Henderson’s London breakfasts; "wall-to-wall" technique courtesy of Gabrielle Hamilton.)

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: ~25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 2–4

Markdown Formatting: Structured for clarity, with adjustable components to honor the "no-recipe" ethos.