The Galveston

Peter and I celebrated our first anniversary on the 19th, and since we'd been tripping the light fantastic for the past weekend, we decided to keep things low-key and treat ourselves to a nice homemade brunch to celebrate. And when I think brunch, the first place I turn to is The Black Dog Tavern Cookbook. 


The Black Dog Cookbook is one of those magical pieces of culinary literature in which everything turns out amazing. I made their artichoke lasagna for Peter's (highly discerning) parents during my visit and his dad later asked me for the recipe. The glory of it all is that the first third of the book or so is devoted simply to breakfast: pancakes and a fantastic assortment of egg dishes. I'd hounded my good friend Ian (who is a captain of the Alabama, one of the Black Dog's tall ships) to get me this cookbook in return for the meals I'd cooked him back in Portland, and while he hasn't been down in Austin to enjoy most of the fruits of my labor, I've sure as heck been enjoying them. 


This particular concoction has simple ingredients, simple preparation and a wonderful payoff at the end. Creamy avocado is spread over a toasted English muffin and topped with a poached egg, cheese and fresh, homemade salsa. Colorful, vibrant and flavorful. The perfect start to any day.

The Galveston (taken from the Black Dog Tavern 40th Anniversary Cookbook)
(Serves 2)

1 ripe avocado
juice from 1 lime
2 ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion
1 jalapeño pepper
small bunch fresh cilantro
2 tsp white vinegar
4 eggs
2 English muffins, split and toasted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Split avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop flesh out into small bowl. Mash the avocado and cover with about a tablespoon of the lime juice to preserve the green color. Set aside. Core and chop the tomatoes. Dice the onion and jalapeño. Chop the cilantro and place into a food processor with the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño and remaining lime juice. Process briefly, keeping the salsa coarse. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. Reduce heat to medium. Thomas Keller tells us to give the water a few good swirls with a wooden spoon and to crack the eggs into the center of the simmering water. Be careful not to break the yolks! Poach the eggs 3 to 5 minutes to desired doneness. While the eggs are cooking arrange the english muffins on a pie pan and spread with the avocado. Gently lift the cooked eggs out of the pan with a slotted spoon, let drain briefly and place on the avocado English muffins. Cover with the cheddar cheese. Place in broiler to briefly melt the cheese. (Cont'd below)

To finish, divide onto two plates and cover with the salsa. Et voilà! You have a beautiful, tasty (and pretty quick to prepare!) brunch worthy of any special occasion. And I'm sure you'll agree that breaking the yolk on a perfectly poached egg is one of life's greatest little pleasures.

Enjoy!