Green Eggs and Ham

1. Heat the oven to 200°F and get an ovenproof plate handy. Put 1 tablespoon of the butter (or oil) in a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. When it’s melted (or hot), add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s brown and frizzled in places, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the maple syrup, and toss to coat. Scrape the ham and glaze from the pan onto the plate and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Rinse out the skillet and wipe it dry.

2. While the ham cooks, pit, peel, and cut the avocados into chunks. (Wrap the other half tightly and save for another use.) Put the avocado in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until quite smooth. Sprinkle with salt and crack in the eggs. Whisk them into the avocado until the mixture is combined.

3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining butter or oil. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot add the eggs mixture. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the sides of the pan (a silicone spatula or spoon is an excellent tool for this.) As the eggs begin to form curds you may notice that some parts are drying out; whenever you see that, remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until the cooking slows down a bit. Then return to the heat and continue cooking. The eggs are done when creamy, soft, and still a bit runny; do not overcook unless, of course, you intend to. Serve right away with the ham, salsa (which you can warm a little in the skillet if you like), tortillas or toast, and pepper.

— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan; Scrambled Eggs, Mark’s Way here.