A couple of weekends ago, my Besties took me to an artisan bread and butter workshop at a local-to-us farm. Chef Nikki also had some of her products available for sale; one of the things I bought: crunchy chile oil.
Before I get to how I used that jar of deliciousness, let's talk about a hot issue. Well, imprecise language gets me hot and bothered! These are not the same.
What's the difference between chile, chili, and chilli?!
'Chilli' with a double 'l' and an 'i' is used in Britain, Australia, Singapore, and India. Since we are not in any of those countries, I'm just going to stop that inquiry.
'Chili' with an 'i' is the shortened version of chili con carne. It's a spiced meat dish served alone or as a topping such as on a chili dog or chili fries.
'Chile' with an 'e' is the most common Spanish spelling to refer to a spicy pepper. The plural is chile or chiles. In the American Southwest, 'chile' also refers to any sauce or condiment made with a spicy pepper.
So, I'm calling what I bought from Nikki crunchy chile oil...with an 'e'. And I brought the jar with me to our micro house rental in Paso Robles that was called 'Dream Catcher.'
Jake was not as enamored with Dream Catcher as I was. I found it cute that the tiny refrigerator lived outside the house. In any case, I never go on vacation without getting a spot with a kitchen though that is a stretch to describe what was in Dream Catcher. But there was a hot plate and a skillet, so I could make breakfast. We ate on the deck because there was no dining room; there was, however, a gorgeous view that looked like a painting!
Cheesy Chile Sunnyside-Up Eggs
Ingredients
serves 2
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons shredded or chopped cheese (I used leftover cheese from our cheeseboard the night before)
2 to 4 eggs, depending on size (I used duck eggs from Nikki's farm)
crunchy chile oil, as needed
fresh herbs as garnish, optional
Procedure
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the cheese. Once the cheese melts, crack your eggs into the pan. Cook to your desired doneness. I liked these sunnyside-up which are cooked on one side and never flipped over.
To serve, move the eggs to individual plates. Spoon crunchy chile oil over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs. I had basil.
The lacy, crispy cheese at the base, oozy egg yolk, and spicy finish are dream breakfast! We enjoyed this so much, we made it all three mornings of our stay in Dream Catcher.
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