Eggs in Avocado Boat
I’ve been seeing these Eggs in Avocado Boat A LOT on the Internet over the past years and I must admit that I’ve always been beyond intrigued. But It wasn’t until my good friend Mike, over at The Iron You (yeah, him again, and no, I’m not in love with him, in case anyone is wondering. He just happens to be a very good friend, that’s all…) gave them a shot himself that I got inspired to actually give them a try.
The thing is, I’ve always had two rather major issues with the concept; major enough to stop me from ever going forward with this project. Uno- I find eggs that get baked for a fairly long time, i.e. long enough for the white to set, get really rubbery and the yolk invariably gets WAYYYYY overcooked. Secundo- I’m always reluctant to use the big oven to cook such little things… I’ve always been taught that it was a major waste of money and energy.
But after Mike had me crave them, I posted his recipe on my Facebook page and someone left a comment to the effect that they loved these but found that the top of the eggs always got way too dry and it would be nice if someone could find a way around this.
HA! That almost sounded like a challenge. And if you know me, you know how I love me a good challenge! So I started wracking my brains as to how I was going to solve both *that* problem and the one about using the oven.
I came up with the perfect solutions. Yes, that’s solutions with an S.
First, about the yolks getting way too cooked for my liking… the solution was really easy! One simply needs to cook them separately!
Clever! The yolks get separated from the whites and spend a little bit of isolation time in a shot glass or small tea cup… or any container that can accommodate them without posing any risk to their delicate constitution.
The whites all get thrown together in a larger container, and as an added bonus, get to get seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper!
Problemo uno: SOLVED!
Movin’ on. Apparently, some people find it hard to scoop out the perfect hole…
I find that it goes best if you sort of outline it first with your spoon and then DELICATELY carve around that line. You have to remove enough flesh to accommodate an entire egg, but you don’t want to go all the way down to the skin. In fact, you need to leave a good amount of flesh at the bottom because we will be removing a little bit of that skin to help the avocados sit nice and straight when we put them down.
We wouldn’t want that egg white to spill all over the place now, would we?
And now, the solution to problem number 2.
I chose to cook my avocados in a skillet, on the stove top!
I figured as long as I had a skillet with a tight fitting lid, it had to work! And it did. Absolutely brilliantly!
First, I seared my avocados, flesh side down, to make them nice and golden and super pretty and yummy on top. See how I removed some of that skin from under the avocados? That way, when I flip them over, they will hold nice and straight for me!
After about 30 seconds of searing, the avocados got flipped over and the cavities got filled with the seasoned egg whites.
Next, lid goes on and heat goes way down to the lowest possible setting. These egg white filled avocado boats will need to cook for about 15-20 minutes.
When the whites are almost completely set, that’s when you want to delicately slide the yolks right on top…
Then put the lid back on and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how cooked (or uncooked, rather) you like your yolk.
And there you have it! ProblemS SOLVED!
Yolk is nice and soft, avocado is deliciously warm and creamy and no crazy amount of energy got wasted in the making of these gorgeous “Baked Eggs”.
All you need to do now is transfer your babies to a serving plate, garnish as you please and indulge.
I chose to garnish mine with chopped walnuts, a little bit of fresh thyme and a few balsamic vinegar pearls, but really, the possibilities are endless here. Crispy bacon, of course, would be a fantastic addition, or crumbled Italian sausage, or finely chopped Corned Beef, why not?
If you do dairy, I’m thinking basically any cheese would be glorious over these eggs: blue cheese, goat cheese, shaved Parmesan, grated Gruyere. Oh my!
Now that I’ve discovered the trick to making these fairly easily and efficiently, I can guarantee you that I’ll be eating them A LOT more often!
And if you have always wanted to try them but never got around to actually doing it, I urge you to fix that as soon as you possibly can.
Something definitely has to be said for the union of warm, creamy avocados and soft, slightly chewy eggs. Add your choice of toppings to that equation and you’ve got yourself a breakfast fit for a king.
Oh, and hey… there’s nothing wrong with eating BOTH boats to yourself, you know. In fact, I strongly suggest that you make 2 per person. Trust me, after you’ve had that first “half”, you’re gonna want the other one, bad!
Eggs in Avocado Boat
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 2 organic, free-range eggs
- Sprinkle salt and pepper
Garnish
- Few pieces of walnuts, chopped
- Fresh thyme
- Balsamic Pearls, or balsamic reduction
Instructions
- Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out enough of the flesh to accomodate an entire egg.
- Remove a small portion of the skin on the back so the avocado sits straight when you set it on the cutting board.
- Crack the eggs and divide them between 3 containers. Place the yolks in individual shot glasses or small tea cups and place both whites together in a common small mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste to the whites and mix well.
- Heat coconut oil in a skillet with fitting lid set over medium high heat. Add the avocado halves, flesh side down, and sear them for about 30 seconds, or until slightly golden.
- Flip the avocados around and fill the cavities almost to the top with the egg whites. Turn the heat down, put the lid on and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the egg whites are almost set.
- Carefully slide the yolks over the whites and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes or until yolks have reached the desired level of doneness.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with walnuts, thyme and balsamic pearls.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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45 Comments on “Eggs in Avocado Boat”
There you go again, introducing me to new flavors. I can’t wait to try the pearls. How smart of you to add the yolks later. Brilliant!
The pearls are amazing, Cindy. They are such a great addition to so many dishes, too. When I run out, I think I’ll try making my own. They look like they’re a lot of fun to make! 🙂
My pearls are at the post office, can’t wait to try these!
Bet you’re gonna love them! Keep me posted!:D
At over $10 an ounce, they are not that much cheaper than trout caviar.
I’d personally take fish roe of any kind over this processed stuff.
Your mileage may vary though.
I can’t say I’m a fan of caviar, so I think I’ll stick with the balsamic pearls… plus, I don’t think that they are really over-processed. But like you said, your mileage may vary! 🙂
What a great way to do this, it sounds like it would taste divine!
OMG Those suckers are expensive, none the less, can’t wait to try them!
How much do they go for in your part of the world, Cindy? Here, they can be had for about a dollar a piece, so it’s not so bad. At that price, I can afford to eat one every day! 😀
I was commenting on the $25.00 for the bottle of pearls. They can be made at home, now I’m really curious. Avocados are about a buck in western Colorado also.
Ah! Yes, but one doesn’t need to use much of that… and also you can make your own. Looks like so much fun, too! I’ll definitely have to give it a try someday! 🙂
Hi Sonia, these eggs look beautiful! I will have to try them for sure. There is another place to order the pearls from though and especially if you are in Canada. it is on http://www.qualifirst.com, same product, plus other flavours and sizes. The website is a little slow though right now, but other than that great products on there.
Thanks for the info, Nicole! 🙂
I love the idea of place the yolk on there seperately. Very clever and yummy!
And once again, I want to get in that brain of yours and figure out how you came up with this cause seriously, sheer brilliance. Honestly, I’ve never tried the avocado eggs for the very reasons that you said. Seriously, who wants a chewt tought egg?! Not me!
Also, balsamic pearls. WUT. I would eat balsamic on anything. In a boat, in a moat, on a coat (too far?) I have a balsamic void in my life that only those can fill. My bank account thanks you.
OH. And I had my suspicions about Mike 😉
HAHAHAHA! Jordan, my dear, you are killing me! Man, you’re just the best! I think I love you! In a non-lesbian kind of way, of course! (there’s a story behind that… I’ll have to tell you about it sometime!) 😀
And now you REALLY got me wanting to make the pearls at home. I mean, it’s got to be WAY more economical (your wallet will thank me!) and it looks like it’s a blast, too! Then I guess I can REALLY start eating the stuff by the spoonful (‘cuz yeah, I do do that, but don’t tell anyone!)
Well I love you too Sonia! (In a non lesbian way as well) And this story… now I’ve got to hear it. Too bad your over the border or I would say we were in need of a tea date!
And please PLEASE make those beautiful little balsamic gems. And then write a post with a tutorial. And then send me fifty cases. Yeahhh I like the sound of that 😀
Tea date would be absolutely super cool, indeed! I always think that I’m the one living on the wrong side of the border… 😉
Balsamic pearls have officially been added to the list. I might even do a video, too! With something this cool, one needs a little bit of live action! 🙂
WOW! You may not be in love with Mike, Sonia, but we all are certainly in love with you! All of my grappling buddies are pretty darned impressed.
Awww, now isn’t that sweet of you to say! Thank you so very much. What a beautiful start to my day! 😀
Absolutely awesome idea to throw them in a skillet on the stovetop – never thought of that. Will have to try it out sometime!
These look so good and glad you went all the way to find the perfect way to cook them!
And if you sit those nice little avocados inside the ring of a jar (minus the jar, of course), you don’t have to slice any skin off… Just as a matter of time – because I’m a lazy chef. And where do you find balsamic pearls!? Now I’m going to have to spend even MORE time on the internet… blast.
What a great idea! I was trying to think of something that I could use in a skillet that wouldn’t burn, melt or break. Next time I make these, I will definitely give the jar ring thing a try!
As for the balsamic pearls, I put a link to where you can find them online, but where I live they can be found in gourmet food stores and some regular grocery stores, too. And soon, pretty soon, I’ll try making them at home and if all works well, I’ll be posting the recipe / technique on here, for sure! So keep an eye out! 🙂
Sooooo…you’re not in love with me, huh?
Kind of harsh to find it out on a blog post, a phone call would have been more corteous…but I guess I just have to deal with it 😉
On a more serious note; loving this cooking technique Sonia, it’s super smart and I guess it yields great results. I want to try it!
Awwww, but sweetheart, you know I would marry you tomorrow if I could! Just, I don’t think your GF would approve! 😉
wow, it’s amazing. so yummy, combine eggs and fruits
i love egg and avocado. thank’s to give this recipe. i will try this.
I made these for breakfast for the first time this morning. The avocados gave a bitter aftertaste that’s not very pleasant. I went on to Google and I realized avocados does in fact become bitter once you cook them. I’m curious how you manage to eliminate the bitterness…or does yours even tasted bitter at all?
I’ve never really noticed any bitterness in my avocados after I cooked them. In fact, I find that once cooked, they have this incredible amount of creaminess and nuttiness to them. Perhaps your avocado wasn’t ripe enough? Unripe avocados tend to be somewhat bitter… You got me curious, though. I’ll definitely have to research that!
Oh that’s so weird. I’m pretty sure they were ripe cuz I’ve only used half an avocado for the egg, the other half for a toast. The avocado on the toast tasted great nonetheless. Another recipe blogger calls for lemon juice to be brushed on the surface of the flesh but there’s still a slight bitterness IMO. I’m still trying to figure out how to serve these to my guests but to no avail.
I love the skillet approach!! I have been trying to make the perfect ‘egg baked in avocado’ for a long time with no luck. Having made a different recipe yesterday that ended with rubbery eggs and well done yolks I was feeling defeated and just convinced this concept would never turn out tasty (as long as I was cooking it.) But the large, perfectly ripe, organic hass avocado sitting on my counter really just seemed like the perfect vessel to cook an egg, so I had to try again. Thanks to the tip on cutting out the shape the avocado was the perfect vessel indeed. We have chickens so I am always looking for creative ways to eat our bounty. The eggs turned out delicate with the whites cooking to a fluffy consistency. The yolk was runny, and combined with the nutty cooked avocado flavor, added an almost custard like texture to the dish. I topped with shaved Parmesan but would use fresh grated next time or nutritional yeast. I served a small salad of chopped cherry tomatoes with the leftover fresh avocado on the side (seasoned with S&P) This recipe is quite decadent so one half was filling enough but I could have easily eaten both halves. This would also be great with crispy bacon bits sprinkled on top. I finally achieved my hope of having a perfectly cooked ‘egg in an avocado’! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad to hear this was to your liking, Elena. And I love the idea of adding crispy bacon! I will have to try it next time… Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi!
I am a college student and I just tried this. WONDERFUL. The original searing in coconut oil really stood out to me and of course how innovative it was to separate the egg parts and add at different stages. I can’t afford the balsamic pearls, but I actually put Siracha on it and it was just wonderful! Of course, I love spicy so that helped my decision.
My only question would be how do you get the whites to stay “down” in the avocado? The egg whites always puff up in mine making it harder to put the yolk on top. Could it be my heat is too high (medium)? Is my skillet too small (it’s cute, maybe 7in diameter)? Am I choosing avocados that are too small? Or a combination? I’d love to hear your input on those technicalities. I’m off to enjoy my breakfast now! Thanks!
-Juli, WI
Keep the heat at the lowest possible setting, Juli. This should prevent the egg whites from puffing up.
I am trying these right now. The only difference is I didn’t get the pearls because they are indeed so expensive here in Maine, however I changed it up a little bit with finely chopped Honey Black Forest Ham and Sharp Cheddar cheese. Cooking as we speak, we will see how they turn out 🙂
Ok now they are done cooking and OMG delicious! This is the first time I’ve ever eaten avocados hot and WOW!
AWESOME! Glad to hear you liked them, Denee. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to let me know, too!
I’ve abounded making these for the same reasons, thank you for thinking of this! It took quite a bit longer for mine (I’m still learning how to cook right on an electric stove, cooked on gas for at least 30 years!). I seared mine in garlic butter, mixed Creole seasoning into the egg whites and topped with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and capers. I have a little cast iron sauce pot with a lid that worked very well as an “oven” and took the advice of a commenter above about using a canning ring to set the avocado on, great idea! I am not particularly patient and probably took the lid off too many times to check but I didn’t want to over do the whites. I just opened a jar of capers last night that I’ve had forever because I was afraid to try them and oh sweet mercy I discovered that I LOVE them. I used to be afraid of balsamic vinegar too but then discovered I love it so much I could just about drink it straight. I can’t wait to try making the pearls – they would be a fun science experiment for our homeschool. Thank you so much for this recipe, it was so delicious and nourishing! Oh and my avocado was not bitter at all.
Oh, I feel for you Dawn. Going from gas to electric must be so hard! I don’t think I could ever adapt.
Glad to hear these avocado boats did turn out, though. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share. And about the balsamic pearls, I’m planning on giving them a go next week. If all works out as planned, I’ll be sharing the experience on here. Fingers crossed! 🙂
Hubby usually cooks breakfast on the weekend but once I saw this recipe I had to try it. I sprinkled with diced tomatoes, my fresh sprouts, and my mom’s homemade thyme salt. Typically I am a disaster in the kitchen but this looked so yummy I braved it. Thank you!
Oh, sounds delicious! Happy to hear this recipe worked out for you, and thanks a bunch for taking the time to let me know, Monique. I really appreciate that! 🙂
thank you! I’ve been trying to find a way to make these without an oven (I agree on the wasted energy). This looks perfect 🙂 can’t wait to make them.
I like this ingenious recipe, and made it today.
Except for the balsamic pearls, that is.
That stuff is expensive – you might as well use caviar instead.
Glad to hear it was to your liking, Zoli! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, too! I greatly appreciate that! 🙂
I think when it comes to eggs in avocado boats, it really comes down to a matter of personal taste. For example, I love avocados: as is, mashed, seasoned, warm, fried, in soups, in chocolate pudding — you name it. I absolute love its inherent texture. However, I just couldn’t get to like the egg in avocado. Baking really does give it a different taste (more on the bitter side) and I think the trick is on variations of avocados and heat (which is a pain – trust me, I have tried making this recipe for two weeks in a row, but the bitter taste is still there on ripe, about to be ripe and unripe avocados. Unripe avocados kick you with getting dry to boot).
Definitely, though, Sonia’s recipe kicks away the egg problem and does alleviate the avocado taste issue (but I think this is just going to vary btw personal taste, heat settings, etc). But meanwhile, my experimentation is over and I’ll stick to slicing in half a lukewarm avocado, cooking my eggs in the pan and then placing them on top of the green goddesses.
Nice vinegar pearls, by the way!