Tortilla with chorizo

Tags

Breakfast, brunch, chorizo, eggs, lunch, omelette, potatoes, spain, tortilla

 

 

In Spain, a tortilla is a kind of omelette, with ingredients added – frequently sliced cooked potato and onion. However, over in Mexico, a tortilla is a kind of flat unleavened bread. This recipe is the Spanish version. Works beautifully as breakfast, brunch, lunch or apéro.

Makes about 10 pieces (can easily be doubled or tripled)

Ingredients:

400g / 13oz potatoes (preferably firm, waxy)
1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
115g / 4oz cooked chorizo
4 eggs

Preparation:

Peel, wash and dry the potatoes
Cut them into thin slices
Heat the oil in a large skillet
Sauté the onions and potatoes for 5 minutes, uncovered
Cover the pan and cook a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently
Season to taste
Remove the skin from the chorizo and slice into thin rounds
Add to the skillet and cook another 10 minutes
In a bowl, whisk the eggs lightly
Pour the eggs into the skillet on top of the potatoes and chorizo
Cook about 6 minutes without stirring, until the eggs are firmly set underneath but not set on top
Invert the tortilla on to a plate and return the pan to the heat
Slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down, and cook for 5 minutes until set all the way through
Serve cut into cubes, hot or cold
Enjoy!

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Œuf cocotte aux champignons / Coddled eggs with mushrooms

Tags

appetiser, baked eggs, Breakfast, brunch, cream, eggs, mushrooms

A traditional French dish, oeufs en cocotte (or coddled eggs) makes for an elegant and nourishing breakfast, brunch, lunch or starter. Oeuf cocotte is made by cooking an egg in a ramekin, along with other ingredients — usually ham and crème fraîche or heavy cream, with an optional topping of grated cheese. But where does the name originate? “Cocotte” is a cute word for a hen, and is also an old-fashioned endearing – or condescending, depending on the tone – term for a girl. However another explanation: You probably know that in French, a cocotte is an oval or round casserole with a lid and two hand grips on each side used for stewing or boiling. The reason why we call this egg dish an “oeuf en cocotte” is because the eggs — gently broken in the cup — are cooked in a small cocotte; nowadays a glass or ceramic ramekin is more often used. But I generally use glass because I like the idea of seeing the food.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 eggs
200 ml / 3/4 cup cream
150 g / 5 oz wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chives and parsley, cut finely

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 c / 360 F
Prepare a bain-marie and place in the oven with boiling water
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat
Add the shallots and the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes
Place the mushroom and shallot mixture evenly in the 4 ramekins
Heat the cream
Add salt and pepper
Pour the cream evenly into the ramekins
Gently break an egg into each
Place in the bain-marie and cook about 15 minutes, until the white of the egg is cooked but the yolk still runny
Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and serve immediately
Enjoy!

 

 

Spicy baked eggs – Shakshuka

Tags

Breakfast, brunch, eggs, fiesta friday, Israel, north Africa, shakshuka, spice, Yotam Ottolenghi

It’s one of my favourite dishes – a simple, go-to meal that works great as a breakfast, lunch or even dinner… In Israel, shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast where it is eaten with a few slices of challah bread to mop up the delicious, fiery sauce. It is a one skillet recipe of eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne. It can be finished either on the stove-top or in the oven. Shakshuka originated in North Africa and like many great dishes there are as many versions as there are cooks who have embraced it. I ate it the first time at Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurant in London and fell in love with it. By now, those that follow me regularly know that I LOVE spicy food with a capital L so it is no surprise that it has become a favourite brunch dish of mine. Because everyone likes their eggs cooked differently, keep an eye on your shakshuka as it is cooking and use the times indicated merely as a guideline. It is best to serve the eggs still runny so that the yolks mingle with the spicy sauce.

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 to 1 chili pepper, deseeded and finely minced (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
two 14 oz / two 400 g cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cup / 20 g loosely packed greens such as spinach, kale, watercress, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 eggs

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat
Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent but no color
Add the chili pepper, salt, pepper and all the spices
Cook for a minute, stirring
Reduce the heat to medium
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and vinegar
Cook for about 12 minutes (sauce should be thick but still slightly liquid)
Stir in the chopped greens
To finish on the stove-top:
Remove skillet from heat and make 6 to 8 indentations with the back of your spoon
Crack an egg into each indentation
Replace skillet on the heat at a low simmer
Cook for about 8 minutes then cover and cook another 3 minutes or until the eggs are to your liking
To finish in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F
Ensure you are using an oven proof skillet
Make the indentations as above and crack the eggs into each
Bake, uncovered, until the eggs are to your liking, about 10 to 15 minutes
Serve with lots of bread, challah, pita or a crusty loaf
Enjoy!

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