Breakfast Sausage & Egg biscuit

Method

1. Crack 2 large eggs into a blender and add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Blend for about 10 seconds, or whisk by hand until the yolks and whites are fully combined. Do not season the eggs yet. Seasoning added before blending sinks to the bottom of the ramekin instead of dispersing through the egg.
2. Butter or lightly oil the inside of two 9 cm3.5 inch straight walled ramekins. Straight walls release the cooked egg in one round piece; ridged ramekins tend to stick.
3. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the two ramekins, roughly 60 ml¼ cup in each. There is no need to measure, just eyeball it so both are even.
4. Sprinkle the top of each ramekin with a pinch of fine grain sea salt and black pepper. Seasoning on top sinks in gently as the eggs cook.
5. Cover each ramekin with a silicone lid or a piece of aluminum foil wrapped around the rim.
6. Place the rack in the Combi inner pot and pour in 120 ml½ cup of water. Set the 2 frozen sausage patties toward the back of the pot and the covered ramekins toward the front, so the eggs are easy to reach first.
7. Slide the pot into the Combi, close the door, and put the lever up. Select Combi Crisp, set the temperature to 200°C400°F, and set the time to 10 minutes. Press Start. Do not use Combi Meals or Combi Bake; the steam time on those functions is too long for this recipe.

   Our tip For the first few minutes the display shows progress bars while steam builds, and only then does the 10-minute countdown start. Step 8 goes by that countdown.

8. When the countdown reaches 5 minutes remaining, open the door carefully because it will be steamy. Pull the pot out and remove the ramekins. Lay a slice of cheddar on each egg and put the covers back on so the cheese melts and the eggs stay warm.

   Our tip Lift a cover and tilt the ramekin: the egg should be set right across, with no liquid in the middle. If it's still wet, cover it again and return it with the sausage until it sets.

9. Flip the sausage patties if you like, return the pot to the Combi, and add the biscuits to warm them through. Let the cycle finish.
10. Take the biscuits out as soon as they are warm so they do not overcook, and wrap them in foil to hold the heat. When the cycle ends, check the sausage with an instant read thermometer for 74°C165°F or higher. If you want more browning, run the patties under the broiler for a minute.
11. Run a butter knife around the edge of each egg to release it in one piece. Split the warm biscuits, add ketchup and syrup if you like them the way I do. Set the egg on the bottom half, top with the sausage patty, and close the sandwich.

Tips from Louise

PREP TIPS

• Season the eggs on top right before cooking, never before blending. Salt and pepper added to the blender settles to the bottom of the ramekin.
• The cream is optional, but it gives the eggs a softer, fluffier texture. Milk or water works too.

COOKING TIPS

• This timing is written for frozen sausage patties. If yours are thawed, back the time off by a few minutes.
• Combi Crisp is the function you want. Combi Meals and Combi Bake steam for much longer and will overcook the eggs.
• Sausage in the back, eggs in the front. The eggs come out first, so keep them within easy reach.
• Sausage thickness varies, so check for 74°C165°F before serving. The pre-steam does most of the work, so it is rarely an issue.
• The eggs hold their heat under the covers long after the sausage is done, so there is no rush to assemble.

RAMEKIN TIPS

• Use straight walled ramekins, about 3 to 9 cm3.5 inches across. Ridged ramekins hold onto the egg and it tears coming out.
• A 9 cm3.5 inch ramekin gives an egg round that matches the biscuit. A 2.5 or 7.5 cm3 inch ramekin cooks in the same time but gives you a taller egg and a taller sandwich.
• Butter or oil is entirely up to you. Both were tested and both release the egg cleanly.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Ketchup and syrup together is Louise’s favorite, savory and sweet in the same bite. It sounds odd but it is delicious.
• Hot sauce, honey, or a smear of soft butter on the biscuit are all lovely.
• Serve with fresh fruit or a small bowl of grits for a fuller plate.