The 'Sweet Billy' Goat Cheese & Chili Jam Scramble
Chapter 3 — Breakfast Bagels
Counter staff wielding dual bench scrapers ring metal against a hot cast-iron skillet, pulling the wet scramble into diner-style folded eggs, melting the soft goat cheese, and smearing the sticky chili jam over a toasted bagel. Assemble the sandwich carefully, engineered perfectly so the whole beautiful mess doesn't shoot out the back on your first bite, then wrap it in heavy foil, and wait exactly two minutes for the steam to soften the crust.
Before you start
Pulse the red bell peppers, chilies, ginger, and garlic in a food processor until finely minced like a relish.
Stop before it turns into a watery puree.
Scrape the pepper mixture into a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet and stir in the sugar, rice vinegar, water, and salt.
Bring the loose, liquid mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring constantly toward the end.
You are waiting for the water to evaporate and the bubbles to become large, glossy, and slow. Dragging a wooden spoon across the pan should leave a clean trail.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof jar to thicken as it cools.
You will only need two tablespoons for the sandwich, but this yields enough for a dozen and keeps in the fridge for a month.
Ingredients
- red bell peppers2 med
- fresh long red chilies4 med
- fresh ginger1 inch
- garlic4 clove
- granulated white sugar1 1/2 cup
- rice wine vinegar1/2 cup
- water1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- everything or sesame bagel1 large
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- eggs2 large
- whole milk1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- fresh soft goat cheese1 1/2 oz
- sweet chili jam2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Drop your scooped bagel halves into the toaster and prepare your workstation.
A fast-paced bagel shop relies on mise en place. Have your room-temperature goat cheese open, the chili jam ready, and a square of aluminum foil laid out on the counter.
- 02
Aggressively whisk the eggs, milk, and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl until completely frothy.
You want to beat air into them for a fluffy scramble.
- 03
Melt the butter in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, pour in the eggs, and let sit for exactly five seconds.
As the edges set, use a heat-proof rubber spatula to gently but deliberately push the cooked edges directly into the center of the pan, tilting to let raw egg flow into the empty space.
- 04
Fold the mostly set but glossy eggs into a rough square the size of your bagel and remove from the heat.
You are not making hard, pebbly scrambled eggs; you are making folded sheets of custard. Residual heat will finish the job.
- 05
Using a classic bagel-shop twist, generously smear the room-temperature goat cheese onto the cut side of the toasted bottom bagel half.
Fat repels water. This lipid layer stops the moisture of the hot eggs from turning your chewy bagel bottom into a soggy sponge.
- 06
Slide the steaming egg envelope onto the goat cheese and spoon the chili jam into the scooped trench of the top bagel half.
- 07
Crown the sandwich, press down firmly with your palm to marry the ingredients, and immediately wrap it tightly in a square of deli foil.
Wait two minutes before slicing directly in half through the foil with a serrated knife. The trapped steam softens the jagged, toasted interior just enough so it yields perfectly to your teeth.
Notes
Scoop the bagel to maintain structural integrity.
If your home-baked bagels are wonderfully plump, gently rip out a small trench of the doughy crumb from the top half before toasting. It creates a physical recess for the eggs and jam to sit in, locking the sandwich together.