Strammer Max
Strammer Max is a classic of German taverns and beer gardens, eaten at any hour: a thick slice of bread fried in butter, slices of ham and a fried egg with a runny yolk, with a pickled cucumber alongside. The name is a risqué joke: “stramm” means firm or taut, and in colloquial German “strammer Max” was a cheeky euphemism for male vigour — the sandwich was supposed to restore your strength. It is most often said to come from Saxony. It sounds trivial, but good sourdough makes the difference, and so does a yolk that stays runny and spills over the ham. Breakfast in a quarter of an hour.
Your own work in that: 5 min.
- Bread 5 min
- Eggs 5 min
- Assembling 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneFry the bread
Melt half the butter in a pan and fry the slices over medium heat for 2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp outside.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Bread fried in butter — crisp outside, soft within.Plate the bread
Move the slices to plates.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Warm the ham
In the same pan warm the ham for a minute each side, until hot and lightly coloured.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Lay on the ham
Lay the ham over the bread, folding the slices loosely.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Loose folds give the yolk somewhere to run.Fry the eggs
Melt the rest of the butter and crack in the eggs. Fry over low heat for 3–4 minutes, until the white sets and the yolk stays runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Low heat — set white, runny yolk.Assemble
Slide the eggs onto the ham with a spatula.
Ingredients: 2 pcs sourdough bread, thick slices · 30 g butter · 100 g cooked or smoked ham, sliced · 2 pcs eggs · 1 pinch salt · 1 pinch black pepper
Add the chives
Scatter with chopped chives.
Ingredients: 2 pcs pickled cucumbers · 1 tbsp chives · 1 tsp mustard (optional)
Serve
Serve at once with pickled cucumbers and mustard on the side, with a knife and fork.
Ingredients: 2 pcs pickled cucumbers · 1 tbsp chives · 1 tsp mustard (optional)
Before you start
Runny yolk
A runny yolk is not safe for children, pregnant women, the elderly or anyone immunocompromised — fry theirs covered for 5–6 minutes until set.
Variations
Some versions use a slice of roast pork or Leberkäse instead of ham, and pubs sometimes add melted cheese under the egg.
Storage
Assemble just before eating — it does not keep.
