Harissa Baked Eggs

Almost every weekend my boyfriend and I watch Saturday Kitchen together and whilst he was reluctant to enjoy it at first, George is now a huge fan of Donal Skehan, who presents it every now and then. With this in mind I bought him Donal's cookbook Fresh as part of his birthday present back in April and last night I finally got to reap the rewards as George cooked his first recipe from it.


So without further ado, here is the recipe in all its glory with a few tweaks, of course, as neither George nor I can ever just follow a recipe to the letter. It's healthy, easy, quick and, most importantly, delicious making it an ideal midweek supper. It's especially comforting at this time of year with chips for dipping in the runny yolks and a good kick of chilli in the tomato sauce.

Harissa Baked Eggs

Serves 2 for dinner or 4 for breakfast

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, very finely diced

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely diced

1 tsp smoked paprika

3–4 heaped tbsp harissa paste

2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes

Large handful of parsley, roughly chopped

4 large free-range eggs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potato wedges, to serve

Preheat the oven 200°C/400°F/ Gas mark 4. Heat the olive oil in a high-sided, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 6–8 minutes, or until softened.

Add the garlic, chilli and paprika and fry for 1–2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes aromatic. Stir in the harissa paste and tomatoes, pressing the tomatoes down with the back of a fork until you are left with a smooth-ish consistency. Cook for 8 –10 minutes at a gentle simmer, until the sauce thickens and intensifies. Season to taste.

Stir through the parsley, reserving a few leaves to garnish. Use the back of a ladle to make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny. Divide between plates and then serve with potato wedges for dipping.