The Classic L.E.O.
לאַקס, אייער, און ציבעלע·(laks, eyer, un tsibele)
Sunday Morning Appetizing
A twelve-inch cast-iron skillet sits ready: a quarter-inch dice of yellow onion, three beaten eggs, and supermarket smoked salmon. Once the butter foams, slowly coax the sweetness out of a cheap yellow onion and use the fatty, salty scrap trim from the deli counter. Yielding a perfectly messy jumble of salt, sweet, and soft curds, it tastes exactly like a 1920s Lower East Side appetizing shop, complete with damp brine barrels. Here is the exact timing required to soften the onions, set the eggs, and warm the lox without turning it into leather.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- neutral oil1 tsp
- yellow onion1 med
- eggs6 large
- freshly ground black pepper1/4 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- Nova lox trim4 oz
- fresh dill1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Melt the butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Add the thinly sliced onions and do not rush the process; sauté them, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until they wilt and take on a rich, golden-brown caramelization that provides the essential sweetness to cut the salty fish.
- 02
Whisk the eggs with a generous pinch of black pepper and just a tiny pinch of salt.
Beat them vigorously with a fork until the yolks and whites are completely unified and frothy.
- 03
Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the beaten eggs directly over the deeply golden onions.
Let the eggs sit undisturbed for a few seconds until the edges begin to set, then use a rubber spatula to gently push them around the pan to form large, soft curds.
- 04
Scatter the chopped lox into the pan when the eggs are mostly cooked but still slightly wet.
Gently fold the fish into the scramble just to warm it through and release its fatty oils. Do not overcook the smoked salmon or it will turn tough and overly salty.
- 05
Remove the pan from the heat immediately as soon as the eggs are just set.
Fold in the fresh dill if using, and serve right away alongside toasted bagels and cream cheese.
Notes
For an authentic taste on a budget, skip the expensive center-cut salmon slices.
Look for packages labeled 'smoked salmon trim' or 'lox bits' in the deli section. The heat of the pan works magic on these fatty off-cuts, saving money without sacrificing flavor.
To turn this into a L.E.O. Matzo Brei crossover, run a few sheets of matzo under cold water.
Break the dampened matzo into small pieces and fry them in the butter with the caramelized onions before adding the eggs and lox.