A simple Portuguese dish of baked eggs over a mixture of peas, chorizo and bacon with a touch of tomato. This easy dinner is perfect for a cold winter night.
Let’s talk about the dayjob for a sec. Easiest way to explain it is that I build clouds, and occasionally that takes me to some pretty interesting places. I spent the past week in Bratislava, for example. When my engineering lead told me we were going there, I actually had to look it up. The capital city of Slovakia was not exactly top of my must-see list, but now that I’ve been there, I’m glad I went. The Old City is very pretty, with cobblestone streets and loads of beautiful architecture. The beer is good (and cheap) and the food comes in huge portions for next to nothing. I had duck confit with potato pancake and braised cabbage for less than 12 Euros. In NYC, that plate would have cost $30!
But enough about my life in the clouds. Let’s talk eggs. I love egss and only recently have I learned to appreciate a runny yolk. When I was a kids, it was all scrambled for me. But now, I love poached and baked eggs. Whether over Swiss chard, surrounded by Merguez, or nestled in a bed of peas like this one, eggs are easy and comforting. Chorizo and bacon add big flavor and this takes minutes to prepare, making it a perfect weeknight dinner for me and the husband. Crusty bread is all you need to complete the meal.
- 1½ ounces bacon, cut into thin strips
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons strained tomatoes
- 2 chorizo, casings removed and thinly sliced
- 2 cups peas, thawed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 lemon wedges, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and chile flakes to the cocotte and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender but not browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon oil and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the chorizo and reserved bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and season with salt. Discard the bay leaf.
- Make four little nests for the eggs in the mixture, spacing them a few inches apart. Carefully break an egg into each nest.
- Bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately, squeezing a little lemon over, if desired.
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