Hot-smoked salmon bathed

in new onions, farmers’ eggs

cry for bliss, o pan.

Whenever I return to New York for a visit, I make a pilgrimage to Barney Greengrass for lox, eggs and onions (with a toasted everything bagel and a small borscht, baby). Walter, my famed fishmonger at Pure Fish at the Pike Place Market, sweetly gave me a birthday package of hot-smoked salmon this week. As soon as I got it home, I knew what I was going to do with it.

I had new red onions in the fridge from my Hazon CSA box and unbelievably orange and delicious eggs from the Crown-S-Ranch from which I’m sure I’ll never recover. Oh, to be an egg snob! Lordy, Lordy.

Photo by Paul Lowry

I doubted I could replicate my beloved Barney’s breakfast classic but figured I probably couldn’t do too badly given the off-the-charts quality of the raw materials. Thinly sliced two small onions, sautéed slowly in butter, adding just a bit of water when it began to cook too quickly (a tip I learned from my butch Asian chef pal Pat). Coarsely chopped a two-inch chunk of the shiny pink fish and added after the onions had softened and started to caramelize. Salt and pepper. Whisked four eggs and poured over. Scrambled very lovingly over a low flame. Toward the end tossed in a handful of deep green sliced onion tops.

Holy mama.

Mr. Greengrass, kiss my a**. Next time you come to MY house for lox, eggs and onions.

p.s. Naw, I didn’t eat four eggs in one sitting. But it seemed only right that I should have leftovers, as is my minhag (let me assure you, “Barney bliss” eaten cold out of someone’s fridge after a night out and before you make love to your Aerobed is a slice of friggin’ olam habah).

Make your own hot-smoked salmon!  (recipe not tested – yet)