Cooked tomatoes are an excellent source of the powerful antioxidant lycopene. This simple yet luxurious dish is based on a dish from the south of Spain, similar to a North African shakshuka. The recipe draws on Spanish paprika and roasted red pepper for its smoky flavour. It’s a satisfying meal, equally at home on the dinner table as on the breakfast bar.
Make ahead
If you want to save yourself time on the day of preparation, you can make the tomato sauce in advance. It can be refrigerated up to a day ahead. Simply heat slowly on the stovetop and bring up to a simmer when you’re ready to cook the eggs.
Spicy, Smoky Tomato-Braised Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 tsp + 1 Tbsp (5 mL + 15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
- 1 tsp (5 mL) peeled, crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp (5 mL) sweet smoked paprika
- 28 oz (796 mL) can whole tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 cup (250 mL) chopped red chard
- 4 organic eggs
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped parsley
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories182
- protein8 g
- total fat10 g
- sat. fat2 g
- total carbohydrates18 g
- sugars13 g
- fibre4 g
- sodium241 mg
Directions
01
Turn oven broiler to high. Rub red pepper with 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil and place in baking pan. Place pan under broiler. While watching carefully, turn pepper occasionally as each side blackens under the heat, about 10 minutes. When all sides of red pepper have been fully blackened, remove from oven and place in paper bag to cool.
02
Add 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil to 9 in (23 cm) cast iron skillet and sauté onion on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, until garlic is translucent. Add sweet smoked paprika and tomatoes to pan, stir thoroughly to incorporate, and allow to simmer on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
03
Once pepper is cool, peel and discard skin and seeds. Place flesh in food processor or blender and purée. Add pepper purée to tomato sauce with salt, honey, and, if desired, hot smoked paprika. Allow sauce to simmer for 15 minutes more. Add in red chard and mix through.
04
Crack eggs into individual pinch bowls or glasses and set aside. Press the bowl of a soup ladle into sauce, and pour in an egg. Then tip contents slowly into tomato mixture. Repeat with remaining eggs, arranging them evenly over surface of skillet. For soft eggs, simmer for approximately 10 minutes, covering halfway through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a warm tortilla or a piece of crusty bread.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Tourtière AU Cerf
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
Artichauts en Barigoule
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.