Eggventures with Gaby Melian

Handsome medialunas BEC by Gaby Melian

Argentinian-inspired medialunas (croissants) with bacon, egg and cheese 

If you’ve Googled “recipes” in the past 3 years, you’ve probably come across acclaimed Bon App test kitchen manager, Gaby Melian. The veteran chef has gained national attention for bringing her approachable expertise and genuine, lovable personality to the masses through the lens of widely shared recipes for dishes like empanadas and tortilla de papas. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gaby was raised in a culinary family and learned cooking as an artform — always experimenting with new flavors and concepts. While she went on to study journalism, upon moving to the US, she discovered culinary school and was hooked. 20 years later, Gaby is not only a successful professional chef, but one of the most recognized names in food. Today, Gaby is sharing with us her recipe for BEC medialunas (and some personal background on her mouth-watering recipe!).

Gaby’s BEC 

If you ask any New Yorker they will swear that BEC is a “New York Thing’, but I am not sure if this is true. I do know plenty of people in California that eat them  (although … they are former New Yorkers!) The first time I had a BEC in my life was in NYC. “BaconEggandCheese” is the right way of saying it (altogether without breathing), so for the sake of this recipe, I am going to stick with it. This is my West-of-the-Hudson-River-New-York-Style BACON, EGG & CHEESE! 

Like any good recipe, this BEC has some personal history. One of the many memories I have from growing up in Buenos Aires is going to the bakery with my Grandmother on Sundays to get the bread for the day and sweet pastries for the afternoon — specifically medialunas (croissants). I remember when we had leftover medialunas, she would warm them up, cut them in half and add some cured meats and cheese the next day, What a treat. We loved those so much!  

When I came to the states and had my first taste of a BEC, I immediately fell in love. Since then, a new tradition was created: my Mom and I would fill our Argentine medialunas with crispy bacon, eggs, and melted cheese — a warm and sweet reminder of our hometown family traditions with a fantastic mix of our new home.

Make It Yours 

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 2 slices aged cheddar cheese
• 2 slices of bacon
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Butter
• 1 medium size medialuna (croissant) day old preferable

Instructions

1. Cut the medialuna (croissant) in half, toast it slightly before assembling your sandwich, set aside.
2. In a non-stick pan, cook the bacon trough as per the package instructions and desired crispiness, transfer to paper towels to drain. Do not discard the fat from the pan.
3. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the pan back to medium high heat. If there is not enough fat leftover, you can add a little bit of butter or any other oil of your choice.
4. Pour the eggs into the center and stir with a rubber spatula for a few seconds. Move the pan until the bottom is completely covered.
5. Let the omelet sit in the pan for 15 seconds without touching. Shake the pan to loosen it up a few times. When the center is almost set, add cheese and let it melt for a few seconds. With the help of a rubber spatula, fold it over in half, slide the omelet onto a plate, and get ready to assemble your medialuna (croissant).
6. Open your medialuna, add the omelette, top with pieces of bacon, close the medialuna and voila!

Tips/Twists

Bacon

I like to cook my bacon all at once in the oven in a large batch, so you stink your kitchen up just once (I always save the fat that collects in the sheet pan to cook my eggs that day and my veggies later in the week).  

Eggs 

I cook eggs often at home, especially on weekends. I cook them in a cast iron pan with a little bit of that bacon fat. If you are not fond of having to clean your cast iron pan later, you can cook your eggs in a non-stick pan, and they will be done in no time. 
I like to cook the eggs as an omelette and add the cheese just before the omelette is done, so it doesn’t disappear and keeps melting while you are assembling the sandwich. For the eggs, you can adjust the quantities for a larger crowd. If you prefer to cook your eggs differently, by all means, go for it. I choose to do an egg omelet because it is easier to assemble and eat in front of others if you know what I mean!

Medialuna

If you prefer not to use your oven for toasting, you can easily make all of this in the same pan. Cook your bacon first and reserve the fat. Warm the open croissant on the same pan before you cook your egg. Then, make your eggs anyway you like in the bacon fat, add cheese, assemble your BEC and voilà! You are ready to enjoy it! 

Enjoy! Buen Provecho! 
Gaby :)