Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Scallions, Sage & Turkish Red Pepper

 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large fresh sage leaves

4 eggs

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ground Turkish or Aleppo red pepper

2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

Handful of baby arugula, for serving (optional)

Lemon wedge, for serving

 

Heat a heavy (preferably cast-iron) 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute; then pour in the oil. The oil should thin out on contact (but not smoke—that’s too hot). Add the sage leaves and let them sizzle for about 10 seconds. Then crack the eggs into the skillet on top of the sage leaves and season them with salt and pepper to taste. As the eggs fry, baste the egg whites with some of the oil from the bottom of the skillet to encourage cooking (you can add a little more oil if you need to).  When the edges of the eggs are curled, crisped, and browned, and the yolks are still wobbly, remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the Turkish pepper and the scallions over them. Carefully slide 2 eggs onto each plate, and top with the arugula, if using, and a few drops of lemon juice. Serve.