Go Back

Smoked salmon, spinach and poached egg bagel

Richard Bewley
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Brunch
Cuisine Central European
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 x bagels sliced in half and lightly toasted
  • 2 large slices of smoked salmon
  • A drizzle of olive oil
  • 2 x large free-range eggs
  • a handful of baby spinach leaves
  • Half a lemon quarter juiced, remainder cut into wedges as a garnish
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp white wine or cider vinegar
  • freshly milled black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • First, slice the bagels in half across the centre and lightly toast in a toaster. Pre-heat the grill to a medium-high heat.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil (I prefer a large skillet deep enough to ensure that a submerged egg is fully covered), add a teaspoon of salt and the vinegar. Vinegar is used to prevent the eggs from sticking together. Once boiling, reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer.
  • Next, place the salmon slices on the bottom half of each toasted bagel, and place under a grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the salmon has changed to a pale pink colour. remove from grill, drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and grind a little black pepper. Loosely cover with a sheet of tin foil to keep warm.
  • Individually break each egg into a ramekin, and gently tip into the simmering water. After 3-4 minutes, gently remove with a slotted spoon, and carefully press down on the top on the egg to check firmness. As I personally prefer a runny egg, I will consider the egg ready once the white of the egg is a firmer texture.
  • Add a few baby spinach leaves over the salmon, drizzle a little olive oil, then carefully place the poached egg on top.
  • Serve warm with a wedge of lemon to garnish.

Notes

Please note - I have not added any butter to this recipe - the main reason is that I find the oil from the smoked salmon and lemon juice sufficiently moist enough to prevent the bagel from being too dry.
if you do not have spinach leaves at hand, why not try rocket, watercress, or even a combination of all three?