Recipe: Kale, Bacon & Egg Whole-Wheat Breakfast Sandwich

You’re either an egg yolk person or you’re not. If you’re the latter, drippy egg yolks are confusing and repulsive — and this recipe is not for you. If you’re among the former, welcome! You have come to a place where egg yolk oozes over garlicky kale, crispy bacon, and a toasty bun, pooling on the plate for extra dipping as you eat. Ready to start your day off right?

I’ve had this particular sandwich on the brain for several months now, ever since a cafe near my house started serving a similar sandwich, made with braised kale, sausage, and a fried egg. I’ve eaten it for lunch and I’ve eaten it for dinner, but because the cafe doesn’t open until midday, I’ve never eaten it for breakfast. For that, I’d have to make my own version.

Instead of sausage, I started with good bacon — just enough to add flavor and crispness, as well as a thin film of fat on the pan, perfect for cooking the kale and garlic. It’s a riff on Brazilian-style collard greens, which ditch the usual long, slow braising in favor of a quick sauté. Thinly slicing the greens ensures they won’t be too tough, while the residual bacon grease infuses them with a smoky flavor and just enough salt. Sprinkling them with a little vinegar after cooking adds some brightness.

With the bun toasted and the kale and bacon prepped, all that is left to do is fry the egg. I do it in the same skillet, wiped clean after cooking the kale, until the edges are crispy and lacy, and the yolk is still soft. Then kale, bacon, and egg get piled onto the bun, taken to the table and — slice, ooze, yum — breakfast is served. Or, you know, lunch. Or dinner. For those in the pro-egg-yolk camp, this sandwich is made for any time of day.