Bull's-Eyes with Mushrooms and Fontina

ACTIVE:
TOTAL TIME:
SERVINGS: MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

FAST
VEGETARIAN

Eggs fried in hollowed-out bread slices, or bull's-eyes, are one of Marcia Kiesel's favorite breakfasts; when you fill the bread with spicy mushrooms, cheese and salsa, you have more of a meal. Ideally, the eggs should be cooked so that the yolks are alm...

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5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 pound mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon hot paprika
8 slices of whole wheat bread, with a 2-inch square cut out of each center
8 large eggs
2 ounces Fontina or Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 8 slices
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons prepared salsa

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
Wipe out the skillet and melt 1 more tablespoon of the butter. Arrange 2 slices of hollowed-out bread in the skillet and break an egg into each hole. Cook over low heat until the bread is well-browned on the bottom and the yolks are partially set, about 3 minutes. Turn the bread over and cook the second sides until the yolks are barely set, about 3 more minutes. Turn the bread again, set a slice of cheese on each toast and season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of salsa on 1 of the toasts and cover with 1/3 cup of the mushrooms; invert the other toast on top, cheese side down. Transfer the sandwich to a plate and repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more bull's eyes.

Suggested Pairing

Eggs aren't easy to match—they tend to flatten wine flavors—but the wine-friendly mushrooms, shallots and cheese make a straightforward, round and fruity white the natural choice. Try a Pinot Blanc, such as the Pierre Sparr from Alsace or Mirassou from northern California.