serves 2
One Saturday morning, my friend Judith and I shopped for breakfast at the Greenpoint farmers’ market. After we had acquired eggs, butter, cheese, fresh bread, and plenty of apples—the makings of a princely meal—Judith stopped at the fish stand, mentioning that her family often had fresh fish for breakfast when they vacationed at the North Sea in Holland.
Now, I know perfectly well that fish is a common breakfast staple all over the world, but fresh flounder for breakfast seemed exotic, at least to me.
Back in the kitchen, Judith simply swathed the fish in butter, salt, and pepper and broiled it, while I scrambled the eggs. There was nothing surprising about the flavors—the sweet, soft fish with its saline, buttery juices melding with fluffy farm-fresh eggs—but eaten all together, it was divine.
I could have stuck to Judith’s original, gorgeously spare recipe. But my urge to embellish runs deep. So, for a garnish, I chopped together parsley, scallions, and capers to add a tangy, bright note and a little bit of color. Further, feeling lazy, I cracked the eggs directly into the roasting pan with the fish; if I timed it right, the yolks would stay runny and gush all over the flounder, creating a velvety sauce.
With its pungent green garnish adding verve and the yolks lending creaminess, it was a more complex dish than the original, but still an easy, quick change of pace for two on a weekend morning.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless flounder fillets, rinsed and patted dry
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon paprika
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons chopped scallions (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1½ tablespoons drained capers, chopped (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Pour the butter over the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch metal baking pan. Place the fish in the pan and turn to coat with the butter. Season with about half the salt and paprika and plenty of black pepper.
3. Bake for 2 to 4 minutes, then crack the eggs into the bottom of the pan in the corners; the eggs should land next to, not on top of, the fish. (If you like runny eggs, add them after 3 to 4 minutes; for medium-firm but still slightly runny eggs, add them after 2 minutes; and for very firm eggs, you can add them along with the fish at the beginning.) Season the eggs with the remaining salt and paprika, and more pepper. Bake until the fish is just opaque and the eggs are lightly set, 7 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the scallions, parsley, and capers (if using). Transfer the fish and eggs to serving plates; garnish with the caper mixture, if you like.