This is a recipe for those of us who are so reverent toward farm-fresh eggs that we’ll stand at the stove for almost a half hour, stirring them like a fine risotto. It seems crazy as you’re doing it, especially since nothing seems to happen for the first 15 minutes or so, but your perseverance will be rewarded with eggs that have a texture beyond compare, unless you’re comparing it to, say, lemon curd, one of the most luxuriously textured foods I know. I refer to eggs done this way as a reverse custard, with more eggs than cream instead of vice versa. I call for the Red Pepper Chutney (page 17) as an accompaniment, but this is such a fabulous way to make eggs, you can combine them with bacon for something even more basic, or you can add any manner of seasonal vegetables, lightly steamed or, better yet, sautéed in butter. If, unlike me, you can’t imagine spending this much time on eggs for one, invite a few friends over for brunch, multiply this by four, and try it out on them. You’ll see.

　　

Ingredients

2 eggs

　　2 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half

　　Kosher or sea salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 teaspoon unsalted butter

　　1 slice rustic bread, toasted

　　1/4 cup Red Pepper Chutney (page 17)

　　

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk; season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Assemble a double boiler, with a couple inches of water in the bottom section, over medium heat. (Don’t worry if you don’t have a true double boiler; just set a small saucepan with a couple inches of water in it over medium heat and fit a stainless steel bowl that’s just slightly larger than the saucepan on top, so that it’s airtight. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water.)

　　

Step 3

When the water in the bottom section of the double-boiler assembly comes to a boil, decrease the heat until the water is just simmering. Add the butter to the top section and let it melt. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring constantly and slowly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you stir, until the eggs thicken and form a single large, very soft curd. This will take as long as 20 to 30 minutes; be patient.

　　

Step 4

When the eggs are very softly set to your liking, lay the toast on to a plate, spoon the eggs on top, top with the chutney, and eat.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.