Adapted with permission from “The Bride and Groom Cookbook,” by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford (Chronicle Books, 2003)

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices nutty whole-grain bread
• 4 large farm-fresh or organic eggs
• 2 tablespoons best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh herbs or greens, for garnish
• Paprika, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Toast the bread lightly in a toaster or toaster oven. Arrange open-face on 2 serving plates or a small platter.
2. Crack the eggs into a medium-size bowl and whisk together to combine yolks and whites completely.
3. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beaten eggs all at once, and season with salt and pepper. Immediately lower the heat to medium-low, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or a whisk until the eggs are creamy and just beginning to set into hundreds of little curds. If the eggs look dry and pull away from the pan, you’ve gone too far.
4. Quickly whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter, immediately pull the pan from the heat, and spoon the eggs directly onto the toasted bread before they set. Garnish with your favorite herbs or greens. Drizzle with your finest olive oil, and finish with freshly ground black pepper or paprika, if desired.

Tips

Scrambled eggs can be as soft or as firm as you like. These eggs are about creaminess; you can add a bit of butter to them after they are cooked for extra flavor and texture.

Makes 2 servings.