Braised eggs with leek & za’atar

This is a quick way to get a very comforting meal on the table in a wonderfully short amount of time. It’s a dish as happily eaten for brunch, with coffee, as it is for a light supper with some crusty white bread and a glass of wine. The leeks and spinach can be made up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, ready for the eggs to be cracked in and braised.

SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V

30g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large leeks (or 4 smaller), trimmed and cut into ½cm slices

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

30g small preserved lemons, pips discarded, skin and flesh finely chopped 300ml vegetable stock

200g baby spinach leaves

6 large eggs

90g feta, broken into 2cm pieces

1 tbsp za’atar

1 Put the butter and 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan that has a lid, and place on a medium high heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add the leeks, 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Fry for 3 mins, stirring frequently, or until the leeks are soft. Add the cumin, lemon and vegetable stock and boil rapidly for 4-5 mins until most of the stock has evaporated. Fold in the spinach and cook for a minute until wilted, then reduce the heat to medium.

2 Use a large spoon to make six deep indentations in the mixture and break one egg into each space. Sprinkle the eggs with a pinch of salt, dot the feta around the eggs, then cover the pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny.

3 Mix the za’atar with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and brush over the eggs. Serve at once, straight from the pan.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 224 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 7g • carbs 3g • sugars 2g • fibre 2g • protein 13g • salt 1.5g