Baked Eggs

Going out for a lazy breakfast on the weekend is one of the things I miss most living in Asia. You cannot really laze about over a noodle soup or bowl of rice congee - although it has been tried, the atmosphere in the street side food stall is not really right. A lazy breakfast needs reading materials, comfortable chairs, good food and coffee (or tea if you are me). In Melbourne my favorite breakfast is at Ray’s café in Brunswick, where despite not even having an oven they managed to make the most superb baked eggs using a salamander grill. There were two options one veggie and one meaty with chorizo (which is my second most missed food item here after salt and vinegar chips) and they were both delicious.

This recipe is for baked eggs is super simple and can be adapted and changed to suit everyone. Apologies for no picture but my camera has died.

Ingedients (Per person)

2 free range eggs
3 slices of smoked ham (or any other yummy pork product. For veggie option I would use sliced portabello mushrooms)
6 cubes fetta (or goats cheese, haloumi, stilton)
3 slices of tomato
4 spinach leaves
3 basil leaves
1.5 tbsp of red pesto (or green pesto or olive tapenade or tomato relish etc)

Heat oven to 180°C. In an oven proof bowl (I have been meaning to buy nice ramekin things but just use normal bowls at the moment) spread half the red pesto. Layer ham, then tomato, spinach, torn basil leaves and crumble over half the fetta. Break eggs into bowl. Crumble over remaining fetta and red pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes in medium oven. The eggs should still look slightly uncooked. This is ok as they will continue to cook a little once out (and they are yummy when you mix them up and they are still a bit runny). Serve with slices of Turkish bread or baguette for dipping.