This open-faced sandwich is similar in many ways to a Spanish tortilla. It’s best made in really well-seasoned cast-iron skillets that were passed down from your grandmother. And there’s a great side benefit: the dish is perfect for brunch guests, since it looks so good (and thus makes you look so good) when you’re serving it!

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 bruschette (2 per person)

　　1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 cup diced potato, skin on

　　1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　1 cup diced zucchini

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 cup diced pecorino cheese

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tablespoon dried Sicilian oregano

　　1/2 cup diced smoked ham or bacon lardons

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　12 cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters

　　1/4 cup white wine

　　2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　1/4 cup diced fontina cheese

　　8 large eggs, preferably pasture-raised

　　8 slices country bread

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a small ovenproof cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potato and red pepper flakes and cook until the potato is fork-tender. Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the zucchini is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the pecorino and oregano, and gently toss to mix.

　　

Step 3

In another small, hot ovenproof skillet, add the ham and butter, and sauté until the ham is slightly crisp. Transfer the ham to paper towels to drain and discard half the butter from the skillet. Add the garlic and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are dark brown in color, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up bits from the pan. Add the ham, parsley, and fontina and toss to mix.

　　

Step 4

Crack four eggs into each skillet, covering the whole skillet with the eggs, and cook over medium heat. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and, once the eggs start to set, transfer both skillets to the oven. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are soft but not runny.

　　

Step 5

Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides. Once the eggs are cooked, remove and cut each skillet of eggs into four pieces. Top each slice of bread with one piece of the skillet eggs. Serve one slice of each per person.

　　'wichcraft