Lekker Brekker Monday: One-pan fry-up of cheese, tomato and egg on toast

Often, there is joy to be had in the simplest things. This recipe involves one of my favourite things: fried tomato oozing into toast or fried bread. The combination of juicy, slightly charred tomato and the bread is an overlooked wonder of the breakfast world.

But there’s more to it than that. First of all, this is not a diet breakfast. It requires lots of butter and there’s no getting away from it. The bread has to be fried in butter, otherwise you’re not going to get the desired buttery flavour.

Then the tomato slices need to be cooked in butter, and placed on top of the bread. While it’s still hot, in the pan, slices of cheese go on top so that they can melt.

Okay, technically there’s a second pan involved in this otherwise one-pan dish. In another pan, eggs are fried (yes, in butter) and they top everything, with seasoning.

Tony’s one-pan fry-up of cheese, tomato and egg on toast

(Serves 1 or 2)

Ingredients

Lots of butter

2 slices of white bread

2 tomatoes, sliced into thick rounds

Slices of Dalewood Fromage Simond “mild, easy-eating everyday lekker kaas!” (enough to cover both slices) (or plain old Cheddar)

Fresh or dried oregano

2 fried eggs

Salt and black pepper

Method

I used my French carbon steel for this, the one my son-in-law gave me two Christmases ago.

Slice the tomatoes, the cheese and the bread if it isn’t pre-sliced.

Melt butter in a pan generously. When it’s bubbling, fry the bread on both sides until golden brown. Add more butter if needed.

While the second sides of the toast are cooking, fry the tomato alongside, seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with oregano.

Turn the toast over and put the tomato on top, and immediately put the cheese slices on to melt.

Fry the eggs in a separate pan and place on top, with salt and pepper and a little oregano as a garnish. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

Order Tony’s book, foodSTUFF, here.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.