Beyond Egg McMuffin: Create Elevated Breakfast Sandwiches
|
|
Ask an American to name a breakfast sandwich and you might hear “bagel and lox”; but “Egg McMuffin” is more likely to be the answer.
Before then, the term “breakfast sandwich” was not part of the vernacular. And popular as it is, the Egg McMuffin has not exactly spawned a major food trend in breakfast sandwiches beyond fast food emporia—but then, we haven’t looked on Tik-Tok. Even so…do foodies want an Egg McMuffin? Even on March 2nd, National Egg McMuffin Day? We think not. So today’s tip is: Elevate the breakfast sandwich! Create a signature breakfast sandwich! Get your friends to do the same, and you can get together for breakfast sandwich brunches. Below: > Mix-and-match ingredients for your breakfast sandwich. > The history of the Egg McMuffin. > Recipe: egg, goat cheese, and spicy honey breakfast sandwich. > Recipe: Hoppin’ Toad in the Hole, eggs, chiles, pepper jack cheese. > The history of the breakfast sandwich. > The history of the sandwich. > The history of the English muffin. > The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary. > The year’s 116 breakfast holidays. > The year’s 28+ sandwich holidays. Peruse this list to put together your dream ingredients. The Egg McMuffin was invented by a McDonald’s franchisee, Herb Peterson, who owned several locations in the Santa Barbara, California area. He created it in the late 1960s, and it was introduced officially in 1972. Peterson was fond of Eggs Benedict—eggs, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce on an English muffin. He set out to develop a fast food version of it. Peterson’s problem-solving skills engendered an important aspect of the Egg McMuffin: He needed to prevent the egg from splattering on the grill, and needed them to be perfectly round to fit the shape of the English muffin. He found a blacksmith who specialized in horseshoes, and commissioned a Teflon-coated ring for cooking the eggs. Then, he was off to the races! It was first sold “unoficially” at his Fairview Avenue location in Goleta, north of Santa Barbara. Peterson asked Ray Kroc, McDonald’s founder, to come to his franchise to see “something.” He wouldn’t say what it was, fearing Kroc might have dismissed the idea outright. In Kroc’s own words: “He didn’t want me to reject it out of hand, which I might have done, because it was a crazy idea—a breakfast sandwich.” But after tasting it, Kroc was sold (source: Reader’s Digest). |
|
|
The first corporate-authorized Egg McMuffin was served at a Belleville, New Jersey McDonald’s in 1972. McDonald’s officially launched its full breakfast menu nationally in 1977, featuring the Egg McMuffin along with hotcakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and Danish pastries. Today, breakfast foods account for about a third of McDonald’s total sales. The Egg McMuffin essentially created the breakfast sandwich category. Not surpringly, it boosted English muffin sales nationwide, NPR The name “Egg McMuffin” was coined by Patty Turner Peterson, Herb’s wife. Kroc credited the name with making the new item a must-try. Of course, she received no public acknowledgement and no compensation. It was extremely uncommon for spouses to receive separate compensation for informal contributions, even if they became iconic. Wives’ contributions in that era were not documented with the same thoroughness as their husbands’ achievements. Peterson himself received no additional compensation for the McMuffin. When franchisees or employees develop new products, the intellectual property typically belongs to the corporation (especially in the era before modern innovation incentive programs). Peterson himself coined McDonald’s first national advertising slogan, “Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day.” That’s not too much of a surprise: Before becoming a franchisee, he was an advertising vice president at the agency that handled the McDonald’s account. This sandwich (photo above) will wake you up sweetly, with chile-infused honey. If you don’t want the heat of the chiles, substitute a bit of fresh-ground black pepper for the ground cayenne, and don’t use the final chile garnish. Prep time is 20 minutes, plus 4 hours to infuse the honey. Ingredients For 4 Servings 1. COMBINE honey and half of the cayenne chile in a glass container. Seal tightly and let sit 4 hours or overnight. Wrap and reserve remaining chiles in the fridge. 2. TOAST bread; spread each slice with 1 teaspoon butter and 2 tablespoons goat cheese. 3. HEAT the remaining 2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet; cook until yolks are set, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. 4. DRIZZLE each slice of toast with 2 tablespoons cayenne honey. Top with a fried egg; drizzle evenly with the remaining honey and garnish with the remaining fresh cayenne chiles. With the added crushed chiles, this toad sure is hoppin’! If you don’t like the heat, leave off the chiles. Ingredients For 6 Servings 1. CUT a 1-1/2-inch hole in the center of each slice of bread, using a small round cookie cutter or a juice glass. 2. MELT 2 tablespoons butter over low heat in a large skillet. Add half of the crushed chile and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 1 to 2 minutes. 3. INCREASE heat to medium; arrange 3 bread slices in the skillet. Crack 1 egg into the hole of each slice, taking care not to break the yolks. Cook until eggs are just firm but the yolk is slightly runny, about 5 to 8 minutes. 4. SPRINKLE evenly with cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat procedure for the next three slices of bread. 5. SPRINKLE with salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Serve. CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM. |
||
