Breakfast Cups (with Traditional Hainanese Bread)

English breakfast moment is the happiest moment in the weekends as a beautiful comfort for the efforts we have made for the week. We used to visit one of our favourite local breakfast bar in the weekends when we were in Hendon (London). A plateful of our choices of sausages, ham, bacon, mushrooms, baked tomatoes, eggs, toasts and most importantly baked beans with a cup of nice coffee brings to the highest satisfactory. There are many other choices like poached eggs, black puddings, hash browns and etc but we always order the IDEAL SET in our minds. 

I make English breakfast for us once in a while now because we cannot find good breakfast at local restaurants and we cannot be bothered to spend too much eating proper ones at posh restaurants. We can choose our favourite ingredients making at home and it is so easy! 

I saw a breakfast cups recipe one day and that inspired me to make some in the weekend. I used the traditional Hainanese white bread I bought from the supermarket, sausage slices and mushrooms in the cup and topped with an egg. The toasts are so crunchy and the best moment is that when your knife breaks the egg yolk and it slowly immerse into the mushrooms, sausage and toasts. Trust me, that was incredible! It is a great idea if you are an egg lover like my brother, none of the egg yolk is going to be wasted as it sticks on the plate like served traditionally. Everything will be in your tummy peacefully ^^

There are a few versions of breakfast cups recipes but I like mine the most because there is not any wastage like excessive toast crusts. The toast is so crunchy and it goes really well with the baked beans and ketchup! If you want to make this using square bread you can refer to The Baking Biatch's recipe or if you want a fancy breakfast cup here is an idea by Felicia. Lets make some this weekend and have fun!

Tools:
 3 Ramekins

Ingredients: (makes 3 cups)

4 slices of Hainanese bread (white)

1 Sausage (I used frankfurter, sliced)

8 Button mushrooms/ closed cup mushrooms (diced)

3 Eggs

1 tsp vegetable oil 

Some fresh parseley (chopped) or dried parseley

salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Lightly oil the ramekins. 

2. Heat a pan and add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Fry the sausage slices until lightly golden. Remove sausages from pan and set aside.
3. Use the remaining oil in the pan to cook the mushrooms at medium low heat until soft and brown. Season with some salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Press a slice of bread into the ramekin at the center to fit the base and form a well in the middle.

5. Cut 1/3 of another slice of bread and cut into 2 equal square. Insert the squares into the gaps  between the bread. Do not press too hard as you want it to be nice and crunchy after baking.

6. Divide the sausages into 3 portions and add into toast cups accordingly. Divide also the mushrooms into 3 portions and add them on top of the sausages. 
7. Crack one egg onto the mushrooms  in each cup. 
8. Send the ramekins into the oven and bake at 180°C for 12 minutes, lower the heat to 100°C and continue baking for 4-5 minutes until the transparent egg whites become white and the surface of the egg yolks are less wobbly. 

9. Remove from the oven and sprinkle some salt, pepper and parseley on top of the eggs. Serve hot with baked beans and ketchup to personal taste. 

Tips:

• Different ovens have slightly difference in temperature so keep an eye on the breakfast cups when they are in the oven to prevent the toasts from getting burnt or eggs over cooked.