Chilli Spiced Eggs

Chilli Spiced Eggs Recipe

I loved a tinned tomato, unashamedly so. There’s nothing finer than a greasy spoon style fry up which comes adorned with a portion of tinned tomatoes. I have never said I was classy, I have always been very open about my love of Salad Cream and all things unfashionable. This dish I am sharing with you today, definitely gives the humble tinned tomato a bit of a PR makeover.

These Chilli Spiced Eggs are something I used to cook quite often but then forgot about them. So hooray for their rediscovery in a bid to create low maintenance, low calorie light lunch, brunch or supper dishes. Sometimes by the time I have got in the door from work, cleared up the mess the boys have made, fed the pets, fed the boys, answered some questions, answered some emails, been for a run, done two loads of washing the last thing I want to do it cook another bloody meal. These Chilli Spiced Eggs, however, are so simple, the only effort exerted is a tiny bit of rustic chopping and the opening of two tins. Even me, with my enormous post 7.30pm sense of humour failure, can manage this.

The rich tomato sauce is laced with fresh chilli, pepper, garlic and coriander then embedded with four eggs, cooked to runny perfection. Served alongside vast wedges of crusty bread, this dish is a perfect supper or lunch for two hungry diners. There is plenty of sauce, if you used a large enough frying pan you could easily add another two eggs and have enough for 3 hungry types. I used tinned cherry tomatoes for a change of scenery, however, I am certain standard chopped or whole plum ones would be just as delicious. This tempting recipe comes courtesy of the BBC Good Food website again, gosh I am stalking them, with thanks.

This is the sort of dish to warm you all the way down to your toes. Lightly spiced, comforting and as tasty as can be, just what’s needed on a relatively miserable Tuesday in January.

Easy peasy line up of ingredients for these Chilli Spiced Eggs. All I missed was the sugar, stupid arse that I am. Especially as there are hardly any ingredients to remember.

Make a start by finding your least offensive looking frying pan, if you are going to serve this at the table, if not, use any rusty old affair you can find. I had to buff mine up to make it remotely presentable. Pour in a tablespoon of oil and heat over a medium flame.

Finely, and by now you know I mean rustically, chop the onion, pepper, chilli and garlic and add this to the hot oil.

Give this colourful, hugely fragrant mix a good stir and cook for around five minutes or until everything is starting to brown and soften. Next into the mix, pour in the two tins of tomatoes, be they cherry, plum or chopped.

Stir the mixture well, season and add a teaspoon of sugar or honey to cut any acidity from the tomatoes.

Sling in a handful of chopped coriander then cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until good and thick.

Once thickened, take your eggs and, one at a time, crack into a small cup. Carefully pour each egg into a small recess you have fashioned with a spoon, until you have added all four eggs.

Pop a lid on the pan and cook for between 6 and 8 minutes. I cooked mine for 8 and the eggs were a perfect mix of firm white and runny yolk.

I am salivating, this is a rich piquant sauce, housing perfectly poached eggs. Sprinkle with some additional chopped fresh coriander and serve at the table with a lot of crusty bread for dunkage.

Brunch, lunch, supper, these Chilli Spiced Eggs are all of the above.

Eggs and tinned tomatoes transformed into something really very tempting. This dish is warming, lightly spiced and comforting, along with simple, quick and healthy. And not a greasy spoon in sight.

Lucy x

Chilli Spiced Eggs Recipe

Serves 2, but easily doubled

You will need a medium sized frying pan with a lid

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, finely-ish chopped

1 pepper, red, yellow or orange for aesthetic reasons only, cut into strips

1 large clove garlic, or 2 smaller cloves, finely chopped

2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes, regular chopped or plum tomatoes would also be fine here

A couple of tablespoons freshly chopped coriander

1 teaspoon sugar or honey

salt and pepper

4 eggs, or 6 if you are serving 3 people

More freshly chopped coriander to garnish and hunks of warm bread

Take your medium sized frying pan and add the olive oil. Heat over a medium heat then add the finely chopped onion, garlic and pepper strips. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes until everything is starting to soften and brown at the edges. Tip in the tinned tomatoes, stir well then add the sugar or honey and some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes until thickening. Crack your first egg into a small pot and carefully pour into the tomatoes making a little space for it with a spoon. Repeat with the other three eggs then put the lid on and cook for around 6 to 8 minutes, dependent on how you like your eggs cooked. I cooked mine for 8 minutes and the yolk was good and runny but with a firm white. Serve piping hot with lots of crusty bread for mopping purposes.