My friend introduced me to kippers and eggs on a camping trip. It’s a perfect meal for car camping. You toss some sliced veggies, canned fish, and eggs into a cooler. Then you put a large cast-iron pan on the fire and cook it into something delicious.
But it’s not just for camping. Kippers and eggs is now one of my go-to weekend breakfasts.
Jump to RecipeMaking Kippers and Eggs
If you’re taking this camping, considering slicing the vegetables at home. You could bring a knife, a cutting board, and cut the stuff on the ground of your campsite. I just find it easier to prepare everything in advance.
Veggies
To start, thinly slice a red onion and a red bell pepper. Then put a heavy pan on medium heat and open a can of kippers.
“Kippers” are not incredibly popular in the US. So sometimes you’ll find them as “smoked herring.” If you don’t like smoked fish, you could also use another canned, fatty fish like sardines or salmon.
Once the pan is hot, pour the oil from the can of kippers into the pan. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and start to saute.
Saute the veggies for about 5 minutes. You just want them to soften and turn slightly translucent.
Adding the Kippers
Once the veggies are soft, add the kippers.
I like to break the kippers into chunks and spread them throughout the pan.
It helps to get a bit of kipper in every bite of the final dish. It will also help everything to heat a little more evenly.
Adding the Eggs
Now it’s time for the eggs.
Make four little wells in the mixture. Pour a little bit of olive oil into each well and then crack the eggs into the wells. Then spread the sun-dried tomatoes on top.
Turn the heat down medium-low and cook until the eggs are done to your liking.
I like a runny yolk and a firm white. That takes somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. Once the whites turn opaque, I just jiggle the pan every minute until the whites stop jiggling. Then I know it’s done and ready to eat.
If you like your yolks firm, it’ll take a little longer, probably 10-15 minutes.
If you want to speed it up a bit, you can put a lid on top of the pan. It’ll help to steam the top of the eggs. Just check it every minute or so to prevent overcooking.
Once the eggs are done, top it with some salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestions and Substitutions
Serving
You can just eat the food. It’s tasty on it’s own. If I’m eating it for breakfast, I’ll often eat it plain.
That said, I’ll sometimes make a version of this for dinner. Dinner is when I eat my carbs. So if I’m eating it for dinner, I’ll serve it with sourdough toast spears.
Stab those spears into the runny yolks and eat the rest of it with a spoon. It’s so good.
You can put it into a bowl if you want, but it’s also great right out of the pan. Just be careful not to touch the pan. And use something to protect your countertops. The pan will remain hot for a while.
Substitutions
Sometimes kippers can be hard to find. You can always use another canned, fatty fish like salmon or sardines. If you go this route, you’ll miss the smokiness. You could just let it go, or you could add a dash of liquid smoke to the veggies.
Regardless, you have a quick, delicious breakfast.
One-Skillet Kippers and Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 6-ounce can kippers
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking the eggs
- 4 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- toast (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Place a heavy pan on medium heat. Once hot, pour the kipper liquid into the pan. Add the vegetables. Stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and start to turn translucent.
- Break the kippers into bite-sized pieces and add them to the eggs. Then make 4 wells in the mixture and pour a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of each well. Crack the eggs into the wells and turn the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes across the top.
- Cook for 5-15 minutes until the eggs are done to your liking. Just check every couple minutes to make sure they're not overcooking or burning.
- Top with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with good, organic, sourdough toast if desired.