SPICY SPANISH EGGS
Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 45 minutes Serves 4 Spicy eggs are a modern breakfast or brunchtime favourite, and this version incorporates nutty pearled spelt.
150g pearled spelt 1 tbsp sunflower oil 4 chorizo, about 300g total weight, cut into 1cm discs 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped 2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into 1cm chunks 1 tbsp harissa paste 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 800g tinned plum tomatoes 4 medium eggs 1 handful of parsley or coriander leaves, roughly shredded or chopped
a drizzle of olive oil 4 lemon wedges, to garnish 4 tbsp Greek yogurt or labneh cheese, to garnish crusty bread, to serve (optional)
1 Cook the pearled spelt in boiling water for 20 minutes, or until tender, following the packet instructions. Drain and leave to one side. 2 Heat the sunflower oil in a large, deep-sided sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for a few minutes until it caramelises and starts to release its oil. Turn the slices over and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes. Remove from the pan, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and keep warm. 3 Add the onion, peppers and harissa paste to the pan and cook in the chorizo oil over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until soft. 4 Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir well, then pour in 200ml water so the tomatoes don’t stick while cooking. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. 5 Add the cooked pearled spelt and return the chorizo to the pan. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring, until everything is hot. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 6 Finally, make 4 wells in the sauce mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover the pan with a lid and ‘poach’ the eggs for 5-8 minutes, or until they are set. 7 Serve the baked eggs in the dish you cooked them in, family style, scattered with the parsley and drizzled with a little olive oil. Let everyone garnish their own bowl with a lemon wedge and Greek yogurt, and serve with crusty bread, if you wish.