Huevos a la Flamenco

Ingredients

Olive oil, for frying
1 eggplant, diced
150g cooking chorizo, diced (optional)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Good pinch chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
600g large vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
2 roasted red peppers – or 4 piquillo peppers, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 free range eggs
Crusty bread, to serve

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200 C (400 F, Gas 6).

Pour 5mm of olive oil into a frying pan over a medium heat and gently cook the eggplant for 10 minutes, until golden and tender. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the chorizo to the pan and fry until golden and all the fat has been released, about 5 minutes. Scoop out with the slotted spoon and set aside.

Add onion to the pan, drizzling in a little extra oil if you didn’t use the chorizo and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Then add garlic, chilli flakes and cumin seeds and cook for a couple of minutes, before adding tomatoes and peppers.

Return the eggplant and chorizo to the pan along with a splash of water and season well. Cook over a low heat until the sauce is lovely and thick, about 10-15 minutes.

Tip the mixture into an ovenproof terracotta dish, spreading evenly. Make 4 hollows in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Pop the dish in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, until the eggs are just set.

Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Andalusia, by Jose Pizarro, published by Hardie Grant Gooks $49.99 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: Photographer: © Emma Lee 2019