I was utterly spoilt for my birthday this year and feel so thankful that I have such wonderful friends and family! One of my gorgeous gifts that I couldn’t wait to use was a set of teal Le Creuset ramekins from my lovely friend Lucy!
Image courtesy of thecookskitchen.com
I adore the Le Creuset range and always spend time admiring their casserole dishes when I visit my local cookery shop, Abraxas, however I think it will be some time before I can justify treating myself to one!
On a cold Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, it seemed like the ideal time to get in the kitchen and devise a warming dish to use my newly acquired ramekins. As both Neil and I love strong flavours with a bit of spice, I decided to put a Spanish twist on baked eggs.
Memoirs of an Amateur Cook’s Chorizo and Spinach Baked Eggs
(Serves 2)
Frylight
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g baby spinach
50g chorizo, skinned and diced
150g chopped tomatoes
Dash of red wine
Half a tsp smoked paprika
Tsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
20g mature cheddar, grated
Half tbsp parsley, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Spray a small saucepan with frylight and heat. Once hot, add the garlic, closely followed by the spinach. Keep stirring whilst the spinach cooks to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn. Once the spinach has wilted and cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Return the pan to the heat, spraying it with a little more frylight. Add the chorizo and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until the gorgeous spicy oils have been released.
4. Next, add the chopped tomatoes, red wine, smoked paprika and tomato puree. Season well and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the wilted spinach that was set aside earlier. Divide the mixture between two ramekins.
6. Crack an egg into each ramekin and top with a sprinkling of cheddar and some freshly milled black pepper.
7. Place the ramekins into a roasting tray and pour some room temperature water into the roasting tray until it reaches half way up the ramekins.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle over some parsley and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Unfortunately, the eggs in the photo are a little over done however, cooking in a ban marie as above will ensure they are cooked evenly. The eggs with a hint of spice, although slightly over cooked, were still the perfect light lunch on a cold autumn day and my lovely new ramekins were put to good use! Thank you Lucy!
