Fried Eggs With Ramps, Morels, and Bacon

Eggs, ramps, and morel mushrooms sautéed in butter (and a little bacon fat). What could be better?

Updated April 17, 2023

Why It Works

The hollow core and deeply ridged surface of a morel mushroom makes it the perfect vessel for sauce and egg yolk.

There's not really much to say about fried eggs with ramps and morels sautéed in butter (and a little bacon fat), other than that, with the exception perhaps of a perfectly fresh everything bagel with cream cheese, it's my favorite breakfast.

Eggs, ramps, morels, and bacon on a plate with toast underneath. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

I suppose I could mention that the first time I tried morels, ramps, and bacon together was when I was a green, never-seen-a-morel-in-my-life line cook at No. 9 Park in Boston. The chef de cuisine was kind enough to not just personally demonstrate how to cook them but to actually serve me a whole plate for a family meal. He did it with easy, practiced hands, rendering the bacon fat with a little water, sautéing the morels until they were just crisp around the edges, searing the ramps so the whites browned and the green leaves became charred and crunchy, mounting the whole thing with butter and lemon juice, then pouring it all over a crisp-edged, molten-yolked fried egg.

It's also probably worth talking a bit about why morels and ramps make such a sublime pairing. There is the whole "what grows together goes together" thing, and both morels and ramps have extremely short spring seasons. But that's not the real reason. The reason is that ramps, more than any other allium I can think of, have a way of releasing their flavor into whatever fat (whether it's bacon fat, butter, or olive oil) you're cooking them in. Meanwhile, there is no mushroom—perhaps no food, period—that is better at absorbing those flavors than a morel, with its hollow core and deeply ridged surface. The bacon—well, it's bacon, which needs no explaining.

Eggs, ramps, and morels on crispy toast. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

I cook my morels, ramps, and bacon essentially the same way I was taught all those years ago, although I do like to add a little butter up front to get some of that deeply browned butter flavor. I also add the tiniest splash of soy sauce along with the lemon juice at the end, to boost the savoriness of the mushrooms.

Everything about this dish is quick. The season is quick, the preparation is quick, and quickest of all is the eating.

May 2016

Recipe Details

Fried Eggs With Ramps, Morels, and Bacon Recipe

Active 10 mins

Total 10 mins

Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

4 ounces (100g) diced bacon
6 ounces morel mushrooms (about 3 cups; 160g), cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, divided
6 ounces ramps (about a dozen ramps; 160g), root ends trimmed, white bottoms separated from green tops
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon (15ml) canola oil
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices hearty buttered toast
Sliced fresh chives, to garnish

Directions

Heat bacon along with 1 tablespoon (15ml) water in a medium cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat, stirring, until water evaporates, bacon fat renders, and bacon is completely crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl and set aside.
Return skillet to medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add morels and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until barely starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon (15g) butter and cook, stirring, until morels are nicely browned but not burnt, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Add ramps and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until whites are browned and tender and greens are crisp in spots, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) water, soy sauce, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon butter. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat canola oil in a medium nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, occasionally using a spoon to baste hot oil over the whites to help them cook, until whites are set, edges are crisp, and yolk is still runny.
Place a slice of toast on each of two plates. Top each with a fried egg. Return morel/ramp mixture to high heat and stir in bacon. Cook over high heat until liquid reduces to a creamy, emulsified sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon morels and ramps over and around fried eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Special Equipment

10-inch cast iron skillet or 10-inch stainless steel skillet

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
612	Calories
49g	Fat
26g	Carbs
19g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	612
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g	63%
Saturated Fat 19g	95%
Cholesterol 261mg	87%
Sodium 836mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 26g	9%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 17mg	85%
Calcium 171mg	13%
Iron 13mg	73%
Potassium 772mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.