Fried Eggs à la Provençale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet
• •Thin flexible spatula
• •Heatproof slotted spoon or spider
• •Instant-read frying thermometer
• •Splatter screen

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the home pass

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven. This is your home equivalent of the brigade's warm pass: it holds the fried aubergine briefly without trapping oil underneath or softening its crust. Set the serving platter nearby so assembly can happen quickly.

2. 2

   Salt and dry

   Season both sides of the aubergine with ¾ teaspoon (4 ml / 4.5 g) of the salt and leave the slices on a rack for 20 minutes. Shave a paper-thin piece from the rounded skin side of each tomato half so it can stand steadily, then season the cut faces with ¼ teaspoon (1 ml / 1.5 g) salt and a little pepper. Place the tomatoes cut-side down on a clean towel for 10 minutes. Press the aubergine thoroughly dry without rinsing it, and blot the tomatoes. The surfaces should feel dry, not tacky.

   Salting is doing two jobs: seasoning the vegetables and drawing away surface moisture that would make the flour gummy and the oil spit.
3. 3

   Fry the parsley

   Pour the olive oil into a 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet to a depth of about ¼ inch (6 mm), reserving any excess for topping up, and heat it to 350°F (175°C). The parsley must be completely dry. Lower it into the oil in two loose handfuls with a slotted spoon, keeping your hands and face back, and fry for 10 to 15 seconds, just until the leaves stiffen and deepen slightly in color. Lift them immediately to a paper-lined plate and season with a pinch of the remaining salt. If the first handful stays limp, bring the oil fully back to temperature and return it for only 2 or 3 seconds. Ça se rattrape, but parsley turns bitter if allowed to brown.

4. 4

   Flour the aubergine

   Mix the flour with ¼ teaspoon (1 ml / 1.5 g) salt and half the remaining pepper in a shallow dish. Coat each aubergine slice on both sides immediately before frying, pressing lightly so the flour adheres, then shake away every loose patch. If the coating becomes gummy before it reaches the skillet, brush it off, blot the slice again, and re-flour it. Never send wet flour into the oil.

5. 5

   Fry until tender

   Return the oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the aubergine two slices at a time, without crowding, for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat to keep the oil lively but never smoking, and add some reserved oil if the level falls sharply. The slices are ready when the flour crust is deep gold and a small knife passes through the center without resistance. Transfer them to the warm wire rack in the oven while the second batch cooks. If a slice comes out pale and heavy, restore the oil temperature and fry it for another 30 seconds per side, then hold it on the rack for 5 minutes so excess oil can drain.

6. 6

   Build the vegetable bases

   Arrange the four aubergine slices in a circle on the serving platter. Set one tomato half on each, cut-side up, using the trimmed base to keep it steady. Leave the platter beside the stove while you fry the eggs; the tomatoes should remain fresh and structured, not cooked into softness.

7. 7

   Fry the eggs

   Scoop any dark flour crumbs from the oil, then pour off all but about ¼ cup (60 ml / 55 g). Keep the skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a small cup before sliding it into the pan, and fry two at a time until the undersides are lightly crisp and the whites are nearly set, about 2 minutes. Tilt the skillet and spoon hot oil over the unset white, carefully avoiding the yolk. If the bottom colors before the top sets, lower the heat and cover the skillet for 20 to 30 seconds. Season each egg with the last salt and pepper.

8. 8

   Complete the circle

   Lift each egg with a thin spatula, let the excess oil fall back into the skillet, and settle it over a tomato half. Gather the fried parsley generously in the center of the circle, keeping its crisp leaves loose rather than compressing them. Bring the platter to the table immediately, while the aubergine crust is firm and the yolks remain soft. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose an aubergine wide enough to give four slices that can support a tomato half and an egg. The narrow ends belong in tomorrow's ratatouille; the broad center belongs here.
• •The tomato is structural as well as flavorful, so it must be ripe, firm, and fragrant. A canned tomato cannot stand in for a fresh half in this dish. If the market offers only hard, scentless fruit, save the recipe for a better tomato.
• •Use a sound everyday olive oil with a clean, fruity taste, not your most delicate finishing bottle. The oil must tolerate steady frying, and careful temperature matters more than a costly label.
• •Fried parsley is quick and unruly. Dry it hours ahead if possible, use a splatter screen, and fry it before the flour enters the oil so its flavor and color stay clean.
• •For an outdoor lunch, serve the platter with bread, a sharply dressed green salad, and a dry Provençal rosé. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •Wash the parsley several hours ahead and spread it on clean towels until completely dry. Even a few drops of water will make the hot oil spit.
• •The aubergine and tomatoes can be cut and salted 20 minutes before cooking, but don't flour the aubergine until the oil is ready. Flour left standing turns damp and loses its crisp finish.
• •The aubergine may wait on the warm rack for about 15 minutes. Fry the eggs only when everyone is ready to eat; their soft yolks and delicate edges do not improve with holding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)