The challenge: brunch without eggs. The challenged: Chef Andy Gonzales of Steinbeck’s Ale House in Oakhurst.
I really like eggs. And as it turns out, so does Gonzales. In fact, one of the things he’s best known and loved for at Steinbeck’s is a dish called Chinese Breakfast. It’s a beautiful bowl, layered with jasmine rice, wilted leeks, roasted pork belly and, you guessed it, a perfect sunny-side-up egg.
“It was a huge challenge — even French toast was off the board,” Gonzales complained on the day we met to test out his final no-egg recipes, after a round of back and forth emails and phone calls that eliminated several dishes.
“Not only is it tough, because we’re so egg-centric at brunch, but I’m also egg-centric,” he said. “People give me a hard time, saying, ‘It’s not really one of your dishes unless it has an egg on top.’ But I just love eggs.”
Loving eggs, but living without them, Gonzales came up with three dishes that reflect different aspects of his cooking, including his Texas and Mexican roots, his obsession with Asian food, and his more recent appreciation of Southern staples such as grits.
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