Last Friday, Lifehacker posted a recipe for a healthy breakfast that was so stunningly simple, to call it a recipe might be a bit fanciful. Lifehacker credits reddit user fungzor for the easy, healthy combo wherein an egg is baked in the hollow of a halved avocado.
The setup is easy. Preheat the oven to 425, slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and use a spoon to make a bit more room for the egg. Crack an egg in the hollow, top with anything you'd like, and bake until the egg sets. This minimal recipe drew more than 110,000 clicks for Lifehacker and was a popular choice on Pinterest late last week. Given the appeal of avocados, lazy recipes, and viral sensations, I was eager to give it a whirl for Sunday-morning brunch. The results and verdict after the jump.
Step One: The suggested ingredient list is minimal. I add cracked black pepper atop the egg, but it seems like chili powder, red pepper flakes, or essentially anything with a little kick would have been a good choice. Commenters at Lifehacker said they would try bacon or chorizo, which would certainly tack on more sodium and fat to an already caloric package, but why the hell not?
Step 3: Now I know what happens to egg white when it bakes for nearly 20 minutes into a thin, varnish-like substance. I snap off the plasticine appendage and plop the avocados onto a plate. The avocado has become very... shiny. Like piping hot, flavorless clay. The egg is dry as chalk and yet it still doesn't seem entirely cooked. How is this even possible?
Verdict: If you love eggs Benedict or a soft-boiled egg, go ahead and give this a whirl. You won't have to bake the living hell of the egg to get it to a palatable stage, since doing so turns the avocado into something as appealing as a cooked tennis ball. Also, season the hell out of it. This isn't terrible for a low-effort start to the day, but as far as internet breakfast sensations go, let's just say this is no Late Night Bacon.
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