Basque Eggs

Submitted by velorutionista

"A long time ago I had a recipe from a Basque cookbook for really tasty eggs poached in a simple stew of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. I've since lost that recipe, but this is pretty close to the flavors (though I won't claim it as authentic Basque cooking!) This is really quick to prepare, especially if you dice your veggies as you're cooking instead of doing th prep work all up front (for example, while the sausage sautes, dice the onion, after the onion goes in, mince the garlic, once the garlic is in, dice the peppers, etc.) This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting 1 tsp. oil for the sausage."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 link spicy sausage, finely diced (like andouille, chorizo, or linguica)
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced (walla wallas are fantastic)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bell peppers, diced (I like a mix of purple and red, but use whatever you've got on hand)
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 4.92 ml fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
• crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• 4 eggs (beaten if desired, see below)

directions

1. In a large nonstick saucepan (or skillet with reasonably high sides), saute diced sausage over medium flame till nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
2. Add onion and garlic and stir till well mixed. Cook till onion is soft and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook a minute or two, till slightly soft. Add diced tomatoes, thyme, red pepper, and salt (if using), cover, and cook 4 minutes, till juicy.
3. If using beaten eggs, stir gently throghout veggie mixture; cover. Cook 4 minutes, till set. (This produces more of a fritatta feel--good for folks who don't like runny egg yolks).
4. If using whole eggs, crack each egg and gently slide it into the veggie stew, trying to keep the eggs from touching each other (it may help to make a well for each egg with the back of a spoon). Cover and cook 3 minutes, till whites are set. Ladle each egg and some veggies into a serving bowl. Serve with crusty warm bread.

Reviews

[Lisa Lisa Ann]

My husband and I loved this dish. I made the vegetarian option using cooking spray. We did not miss the sausage. I also added chopped zucchini. It went very nicely with the tomatoes and seasoning. Making the wells for the eggs worked great. We'll definitely make this again!

 

[MrsMM]

What a surprise gem! We really enjoyed this. Great dish for summer, with peppers abound and at their sweetest. Made with hot Italian sausage, but would try chorizo next. All the cooking time/technique/measurements were spot on. I used a red and a yellow for the peppers and opted for the egg 'wells'... I don't like my yolks runny but DH does, so next time, I will cook my portion a bit longer and add his at the end. We eat eggs for dinner usually once a week due to schedules, and this is a very welcome break from the usual oven omelettes/fritattas. Served with a crusty demi baguette, and DH wants to know when we'll have it next. :)

 

[Derf2440]

We found these sausage and eggs delicious and good and spicy, a delicious delight! They would be wonderful for Sunday brunch. Just made half a recipe but with 4 egg and it was almost too much for the two of us. Loved the thyme and red pepper flakes, I used a mild Italian sausage. Thanks for posting I will make this one again.