Eggslut – The Ultimate Egg Experience

Eggslut, what kind of name is that?  When it was making its name as a must try in LA’s food truck explosion, I discounted it.  I was more intrigued by some of the more exotic offerings from the food trucks, or maybe the name was a bit shocking. I’m really not sure what the reason was because I love eggs. To me, they are the breakfast, brunch, and dinner of champions.

I heard a lot of buzz about LA’s Grand Central Market and put it on my must visit list of destinations. Then Eggslut put a stall front and center in the market.  When Bon Appetite named Eggslut as one of the top 10 new restaurants in the US, I seriously began to plan.

Last week on a visit to the West Coast, I decided the time was right.  We were visiting Stacey and Andrew, who were happy to join us in the adventure. The stall is front and center in the market. It’s a bit deceptive when you walk up.  I was amazed it didn’t look that busy.  Then as we came closer, there is a sign to line up at the register.  Ah, there is the line, it winds it’s way back through the market.  We grabbed a menu and settled in for the wait, making friends with those in line with us.

We got up to the cash register to order in 45 minutes, which was much improved from the estimated two hours the year prior and it was worth every second. Once the order was placed, they waited for the food and I scouted for a table.

Andrew wasn’t interested in eggs so he explored the many other options in the Market.  Being a food blogger, my requirement was that we all place different orders so we could sample a variety.  Everyone did their part and of course we had way too much food!  Steve was so hungry he ordered two sandwiches: egg and cheese but one with bacon, then the other with sausage. I went with the egg salad sandwich and the arugula salad. Stacey made the early call for The Slut and it was the prize. It is a jar partially filled with potato puree topped with an egg. The jar is sealed and placed in simmering water. Who would have thought something so simple would be sooo good?

I returned home and immediately perfected my version of the recipe (OK – I admit I peeked at the recipes on the internet for verification that I was on the right track).   I made some minor adjustments, using Yukon Gold Potato’s, less butter and a bit of milk. My pastry bag is a Ziploc with a snipped corner. Then I found it to be a bit more interesting mixing the chives that top it off with a bit of parsley and basil. I tried this out on my friend Cindy for lunch. Click Here for the recipe. It was amazing…

We decided that it would be easy to expand on this layering sautéed greens, maybe some mushrooms or other veggies in the bottom of the jar before piping in the potatoes. Whatever variations you choose to try it I’m sure it will be amazing. Tough, the simple elegance of the original has quickly become one of my go to comfort foods.