Prosciutto and Cheese Waffles + a Sunny Side Up Egg
Remember that waffle iron I bought a few weeks ago? It's becoming a bit of a problem. Now don't misunderstand me -- it's continuing to whip up consistently perfect waffles in only 4 short minutes. No, the problem is not so much the waffle iron itself, as it is the many delicious possibilities it presents.
Since my genius purchase my mind is bursting with recipe ideas, both savory and sweet -- Sweet potato waffles with caramelized pecans?! Blueberry cornmeal waffles?! Waffles topped with smoked salmon, chives, and sour cream?! Peanut butter and banana waffles?! Maple bacon waffles?! Dark chocolate waffles with mascarpone cream?! The ideas just keep on coming and usually at rather inconvenient moments, most recently while in the middle of a conversation with a colleague at lunch. A waffle idea came to me while she was mid-sentence, prompting me to ask her to please hold that thought for a second!! as I jotted down the idea, because I would otherwise forget it (it was "lemon poppyseed waffles with strawberry compote," for the record). At work, I find myself pausing in between emails to scribble ideas down in my notebook ("pumpkin waffles with sage butter!" "carrot cake waffles!")
Downside: My waffle machine is making me rude and unproductive.
Upside: My waffle machine is allowing me to stretch my culinary wings and try out all of these recipes, which is also good news for you.
So, to today's post! These waffles are the first savory waffles I attempted. I was so happy with these sweet waffles that I used the same recipe, cutting down on the sugar. I stirred in some prosciutto, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, and served them with a fried egg on top. Usually at this point in the post I describe the finished dish, but I think the above speaks for itself -- a fluffy waffle filled with gooey cheese and salty prosciutto topped with a fried egg can only be delicious, right?
A couple of notes: you could also use ham or bacon in place of the prosciutto, and substitute any cheese that you want here. You could also top these with a poached egg, if you'd like. If I made these again I might sprinkle them with a little chopped scallion or chives for color. More waffle recipes to follow...!
Click here for more savory, brunch recipes, and here for some sweet breakfast recipes.
SAVORY PROSCIUTTO & CHEESE WAFFLES
Makes about 4 large waffles.
Ingredients:
2 cups (480mL) milk
1/2 cup(112 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 cups (260 grams) flour
4 teaspoons (16 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (56 grams) grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 slices prosciutto or ham, cut into small pieces
4 eggs
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, and eggs. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the cheeses and prosciutto.
Brush some butter on to your waffle iron (or use butter spray, if you have that) and preheat the iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour some of the batter on to the iron -- I use a ladle for this, and use about 1 1/4 ladle-ful of batter per waffle on my iron, but every iron is different. Use the ladle to distribute the batter evenly over the surface of the iron, and then close the lid. Let the waffle cook for 3-5 minutes (again, check the manufacturer's instructions). When the waffle is done, use a fork to gently lift it out of the iron.
In the meantime, cook a sunny side-up egg in a skillet with a little butter. Place the egg over the waffle and serve with sprinkling of fresh black pepper. Repeat with remaining batter and eggs.
