For The Most Flavorful Fried Eggs, Add A Tablespoon Of This To The Pan

Eggs are one of the most versatile foods that you can enjoy. There are seemingly endless preparations, and just as many ways to pair them with seasonings and sides. If you're looking for something to add a new dimension to your fried eggs beyond simple salt and pepper, the answer you seek may be in the form of garlic confit.

Garlic confit is not hard to make, but it does take time, so some planning is required. Also, you need to be careful, because garlic confit can be dangerous to make. It involves cooking garlic in the fat of your choice at a low temperature for up to three hours. Low and slow, as they say. You can rush it at a higher temperature, but it won't be the same. The goal is for the oil to absorb flavor while the garlic cooks down until it becomes soft and almost creamy in texture. The sharp flavor cooks out, leaving a rich garlic taste with a hint of sweetness that complements a fuller and more pleasant flavor than raw or sauteed garlic provides.

Once you have garlic confit ready, you can add a tablespoon to the pan, which is roughly three cloves' worth. That should be enough for one or two eggs, depending on how much garlic flavor you want. You can also mash a full clove into a paste and spread it across the eggs, or on toast with the egg on top. When mixed with a creamy egg yolk, the mellow and robust garlic taste won't overpower the dish. Instead, it enhances the taste of your eggs along with whatever other seasoning you choose.

We picked garlic confit as one of the best ingredients to upgrade your fried eggs, but there are ways to elevate the dish even more. You can play around with the flavor profile of your garlic confit to add even more dimension to your eggs. You can make garlic confit in butter for added richness, since the heat stays below butter's smoke point, but it should be monitored carefully. Otherwise, olive oil is pretty standard, though you can mix in other oils if you want.

Herbs can be added to your oil to infuse more flavor. Thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, and bay leaves are common additions to garlic confit oil, and other flavorings can be used as well. You can spice up the dish with some red pepper flakes or chilis for a punchier finished product. Another twist is to use citrus peel for a bright, zesty addition.

For an intense breakfast twist on this meal, you could confit your garlic in bacon grease. The process is the same as using any other fat. The garlic is fully submerged and allowed to cook slowly over low heat until it becomes golden brown and tender. The difference now is that the garlic will have absorbed that delicious salty, smoky, umami flavor of bacon into it. The flavor and aroma add a familiar comfort breakfast feel while still offering something elevated and unique that is well worth trying.