Hash Brown Egg Nests with Bacon, Avocado and Watercress

Course: Breakfast or brunch Skill level: easy Makes: 8 Vegetable oil or cooking spray for greasing 4 large white potatoes, peeled

110 g (4 oz) Cheddar, grated

1 tbs olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 8 medium eggs

2 slices cooked streaky bacon, chopped roughly 2 avocados, chilled

½ tbs curly parsley, chopped finely

50 g (1¾ oz) watercress

1 Pre-heat oven to 190 deg. C., 375 deg. F., Gas Mark 5. Lightly grease 8 holes in a 12-hole muffin tin.

2 Grate the potatoes finely into a bowl then cover with cold water and allow to sit for a few minutes. Rinse in a colander and squeeze out any excess moisture before returning to the bowl. Add 100 g (3½ oz) of the Cheddar and the tablespoon of olive oil. Season generously and mix well.

3 Take an eighth of the potato

mixture in your hand at a time and squeeze out any further moisture before pressing into the prepared tin. Use your fingers to pack the mix in tightly. Try to encourage some bits of potato to stick up above the edges as this is what will make the finished products look like nests.

4 Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until the edges have browned. Remove from oven and crack an egg into each nest then season. Next, scatter over the chopped bacon and remaining cheese. Place back into the oven and cook until the egg white has set. Check after 10 minutes then regularly (every minute or so) to make sure that the yolks do not over-cook.

5 Allow the nests to cool in the tin, then gently slide a knife around the edges of each nest before using a fork or small palette knife to lift out of the pan.

6 Slice the avocados at the last minute then serve with the warm nests, scattered with the parsley, on a bed of watercress.