I love the “in-a-hole” genre of egg cooking, be that hole in a simple piece of white bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or even a bell pepper. (The only member of this family I hate is an egg cooked in an avocado; not all holes are meant to be filled.) My new favorite is the delicata squash, specifically when pan fried in browned butter until soft throughout and caramelized on the edges.
I’m a big believer in attaining a moral high ground by starting your day with vegetables, and these little squashy egg cups let one do just that. The height of your squash ring depends on the girth of your squash. If the rings are fairly big, you don’t need them to be thick. If you’re working with a narrow squash, just make the rings a little taller so they can contain the egg. Other than that, it’s a simple matter of frying. To make these little breakfast parcels, you will need:
Delicata squash, sliced into as many rings as you wish to consume
As many eggs as you would like to eat
Salted butter
Slice the squash into rings as scoop out the insides and stringy bits. Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat and, once it starts to foam, add the squash rings. Cook the squash for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on how thick you’ve made your rings, until they are soft and the butter has started to brown. Once the squash is tender and caramelized, crack an egg into a sieve to strain off the watery portion of the white, then gently slip the egg into the squash ring. Cover with a lid (or a large, heat-safe plate) for a few minutes, until the top of the white of the egg is opaque and set. Carefully remove it from the plate with a thin spatula, and serve with toast (for yolk-dipping purposes).