Chilli eggs

Delia Smith’s complete cookery course: a new edition for the 1990s, 640pp.
by Delia Smith
BBC Books, London, 1992
Cooking on page 32

Delia Smith is a goddess of English cooking. The first edition of this important book came out in 1978. Fourteen years later she decided it was essential to update and revise recipes, and include new ones where needed.

One big change she noted was the widespread availability of ingredients such as good olive oil, fresh herbs and diverse cheeses.

Chilli eggs

Ingredients
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
a few drops of Tabasco
14 oz tin Italian tomatoes (400 g)
4 oz Cheddar cheese (110 g), grated
salt and freshly milled black pepper

to serve
chopped parsley

Method
Heat the oil in a heavy, medium-sized frying pan and fry the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic gently for about 10 minutes until they’re nicely softened. Then stir in the chilli and cumin powders and add the oregano along with a few drops of Tabasco. Mix thoroughly and then add the contents of the tin of tomatoes.

Turn up the heat a bit and let the mixture cook (uncovered) for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick pulp, then season with salt and freshly milled pepper.

Now carefully break the eggs into the pan on top of the mixture. Then sprinkle the cheese over all the eggs, cover the pan with a close-fitting lid or a suitably-sized plate and, lowering the heat, simmer very gently for about 10–15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Alternatively, you can place the pan under a hot grill until the cheese is browned and bubbling and the eggs just set (7 minutes for soft eggs, 10 for well done). Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lots of bread or toast to dunk into the juices.

How it played out
I’ve made this twice recently. The first time I used a fresh chilli in place of powder. The second time I used chilli powder. I used dried oregano and then fresh basil. One time I used red peppers in place of green.

The timings are fairly accurate. Keep an eye on the eggs so they cook to your liking.

Verdict
This is an amazing recipe for a quick, delicious and reasonably healthy meal. I almost always have the ingredients on hand so I expect to make it frequently, especially on busy days. I might make it again this weekend.

Travel
If you have a moment, please check out my travel blog. Here’s a post about the famous Fabergé eggs.