# What is this Strange Classic English Dish called and how do you cook it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498 "2007-11-23T13:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/21 "2007-11-23T14:51:04Z")
[QUOTE=Galwegian] My mother used to make this, and called it a “One-Eyed Steak”. She comes from Glasgow, where pretty much everything is fried. Including Mars Bars. [/QUOTE] Here in North East England, it’s called “One-Eyed Jack”, apparently. I’ve never had it, myself. It seems to be one of those odd dishes you only know about if your mother made it. Alan Moore’s mother obviously never did – before the film of _V for Vendetta_ came out, one of his objections was: > [@](#): > > “They don’t know what British people have for breakfast, they couldn’t be bothered. ‘Eggy in a basket’ apparently. Now the US have ‘eggs in a basket,’ which is fried bread with a fried egg in a hole in the middle. I guess they thought we must eat that as well, and thought ‘eggy in a basket’ was a quaint and Olde Worlde version.” Now, he had plenty of reasons for being vexed with the producers of the film, but I think he was stretching a bit by objecting to “eggy”. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/22 "2007-11-23T14:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] Here in North East England, it’s called “One-Eyed Jack”, apparently. I’ve never had it, myself. It seems to be one of those odd dishes you only know about if your mother made it. [/QUOTE] I’m American, I think we called it eggs in the hole, but I’m familiar with it because my _father_ made it. I associate it with camping–where Dad did most of the cooking. At home, Mom did most of the cooking. We were far more likely to have eggs for breakfast when camping than when not. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/23 "2007-11-23T14:56:44Z")
Simply because I don’t feel this tiny little question is worth starting a whole thread over: what’s the best sausage to use for bangers & mash? ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/24 "2007-11-23T15:04:00Z")
My family always called them "Bulls-eyes’. Deelicious. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/25 "2007-11-23T15:10:03Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Simply because I don’t feel this tiny little question is worth starting a whole thread over: what’s the best sausage to use for bangers & mash? [/QUOTE] You need to let us know what’s available to you. From my times living in the states, I found there’s very little US-made sausagery that is much like British sausages. You might want to see if there are any British butchers online that can supply you (they have to be based in the US for FDA regulations). I did find one based in Florida that was very good. Essentially, they are ‘links’, usually with a fairly grainy meat texture, a bit of rusk mixed in, and herbs and spices. The skins are also a little tougher than you might be used to, though they seem to get more delicate every year: when I was a lad, they were made of intestine, and were called “bangers” because they actually exploded while cooking if you didn’t prick them. Nowadays they’re encased in a thin vegetable protein substitute, and they split before exploding. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/26 "2007-11-23T15:12:46Z")
Ahhhhh… VERY NICE!! I happened to have some perfect unsliced bread for it, so I sliced it thick and cut a hole in it with a cookie cutter. It came out perfect! I used butter instead of PAM and it helped toasting the bread on the skillet. Not so great for the old ticker but once in a while - I think I found my new favorite breakfast! Plus it’s fun to cook! ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/27 "2007-11-23T15:14:02Z")
> [@](#): > > This dish was famously featured in the 1941 Betty Grable movie Moon Over Miami, earning it the name “moon-over-miami” eggs (although it was referred to in the film as “gas house eggs”). > **[Egg in the basket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_in_the_basket)** > > Egg in the basket, which is also known by many other names, is an egg fried in a hole in a slice of bread. The dish consists of a slice of bread with an egg in the middle, fried with butter or oil. It is commonly prepared by cutting a circular or square hole in the center of a piece of bread, which may be buttered. The bread is fried in a pan with butter, margarine, cooking oil, or other fat. At some point, an egg is cracked into the hole in the bread. When the egg is added to the bread determine... My grandma always called them gas house eggs. [http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/recipes\_gashouseegg.php](http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/recipes_gashouseegg.php) ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/28 "2007-11-23T15:15:13Z")
We call them “popeyes” around here. They’re a little bit tricky, in the sense that the hole has to be properly proportioned. Ideally, the egg should fill the hole so that it comes up to the same plane as the top of the bread. So the hole will vary, depending on the thickness of the bread and the size of the egg. Takes some practice. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/29 "2007-11-23T15:15:25Z")
Moved from General Questions to Cafe Society. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/30 "2007-11-23T15:27:26Z")
**KneadToKnow** , I’ve been poking around the web, and there are lots and lots of US-based British food suppliers that should be able to help you, but on googling NC I found [CCA British Foods](http://charlotte.citysearch.com/profile/6279315/charlotte_nc/cca_british_foods.html) in Charlotte. They don’t have a website, but might be good to call - if they don’t have sausages, they might be able to put you in touch with someone who does. And if you’re ever over Chattanooga way, you might try [The English Rose](http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-2867297-prod-travelguide-action-read-ratings_and_reviews-i), where my mother used to waitress. They do all manner of British tea and food, including authentic bangers and mash (and steak and kidney pie if you’re so inclined!). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/31 "2007-11-23T15:29:09Z")
Thanks, **jjimm**! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/32 "2007-11-23T16:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Essentially, they are ‘links’, usually with a fairly grainy meat texture, a bit of rusk mixed in, and herbs and spices. The skins are also a little tougher than you might be used to, though they seem to get more delicate every year: when I was a lad, they were made of intestine, and were called “bangers” because they actually exploded while cooking if you didn’t prick them. Nowadays they’re encased in a thin vegetable protein substitute, and they split before exploding. [/QUOTE] I think you can still get natural hog casings if you look around (unless they’ve made them illegal in the very recent past or something - I nearly bought some duck sausages at a local butcher/sausage specialist (oo er) - for some friends that don’t eat mammalian protein - but the butcher told me they were hog casings, so I couldn’t get them. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/33 "2007-11-23T16:30:10Z")
We used to make this on Girl Scout campouts and then we called it eagle eyes. Whatever it’s called, it’s still good. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/34 "2007-11-23T16:45:35Z")
This was one of the first dishes I ever learned how to cook. My mom always called it a Hole-y Egg and we’d have them on Sundays. Dang, if eggs didn’t make me sick now, I’d have a whole bunch of these on Sunday. I always liked to cook it with a lot of butter rather than a healthier choice, so the bread turned out a nice golden brown and all butterymmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/35 "2007-11-23T16:53:07Z")
Oh, and for the curious, Eggs-in-Baskets is available at Cracker Barrel. Do _not_ order them sunny-side up: the cooks lack either common sense or a sense of humor, and you will get half-raw eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/36 "2007-11-23T17:15:14Z")
My mother, who is Irish-American, always used to call these “porterhouse eggs.” She made them all the time. This doesn’t seem to be a very common name for them, though. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/37 "2007-11-23T17:24:17Z")
We had eggs this way all the time when I was a kid. We called it a “Rocky Mountain,” nothing remotely British. My own variation is with melted extra-sharp cheddar on top. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/38 "2007-11-23T17:42:19Z")
I’m a 54 year old Englishman and I’ve never heard of this dish :eek: However I have eaten: Toad in the Hole Spotted Dick Welsh Rarebit Yorkshire Pudding Marmite Black Pudding Haggis and the most popular English dish of all … Chicken Tikka Marsala 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/39 "2007-11-23T18:11:33Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Simply because I don’t feel this tiny little question is worth starting a whole thread over: what’s the best sausage to use for bangers & mash? [/QUOTE] I use bratwurst from the grocery store. I’m sure a real Brit would faint or something, but I live in the boonies and that’s what we’ve got. It’s pretty yummy, but the bubble and squeak the next day is the really good part. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498/40 "2007-11-23T18:43:36Z")
I used to like saving the egg circle and putting a slice of cheese then putting the circle back on. Not really part of the whole “trying to eat better” thing [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-strange-classic-english-dish-called-and-how-do-you-cook-it/427498.md?page=3)