31 January 2012

Baked eggs with sage and chilli butter


OK baked eggs are a classic through loads of the world - from a Pakistani spiced version with tomatoes to the Turkish classic menemen, a chickpeas and feta based iteration and the North African staple shakshouka (also popular in Israel apparently, courtesy of the Tunisian Jews). You could easily do a nice UK themed one with leeks and bacon. This, wonder of wonders, is Ottolenghi's version with sage and chilli with a sauce whose taste and savour far exceeds the sum of its parts. It's flippin amazing.

You can peep the original recipe here but the basics are:

  • two eggs each
  • greens - rocket, spinach, tender leeks
  • yoghurt mix (with a little raw garlic)
  • butter mix (with chilli flakes and sage)

Pre-heat the oven to a medium heat.

Sweat down your greens in a pan until they are soft. Add them to an oven dish and crack the eggs between the vegetal bolsters. Stick in the oven.


Mix your yoghurt with a little crushed raw garlic. Make the spiced butter - melt in a pan with the sage and chilli flakes and let it cook for a minute or two so the butter solids start to brown slightly and move towards a state of hazelnut aroma, and the sage crisps.


When the eggs are looking done remove and plate up. I found it tricky getting to a point where the yolks were still liquid but the white was set. You may have more luck.

Combinate however you like with the yoghurt and a generous portion of the spiced butter and serve with absorbent Turkish bread.


Oh my days, sheer brunch based heaven. Don't hold back on the butter, it just doesn't make sense to do so. This should be served with some nice coffee (hazelnut?) and some fruit juice. One might even accessorise with some additional greens to balance the various fats and round out the meal. Whatever happens you are in for a treat. (The spiced butter would be great tipped over a fried egg sandwich if you can't be bothered to go the whole hog).

3 comments:

  1. I've come across a few Ottolenghi baked egg recipes before but never tried yoghurt with egg. It looks great though.

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  2. that is just yum. love how simple it is too. the flavours sound very similar to this baked egg in jacket sweet potato thing I did a very long time ago. added a big fat coin of chilli butter to it and it made the whoel thing come to life. might just add a dollop of yogurt over now too!

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  3. Yep it is very nice.

    Shu Han that sounds really interesting - I can imagine the chilli and butter going with the sweetness of the potato well..yum!

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