Serves 6
This is a wonderfully warming and comforting dish – a version of ‘chiles con huevos’.
Ingredients
25g/1oz butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
125g/4oz smoked ham, chopped
225g/8oz mushrooms, diced
2 hot green chillies, finely chopped
225ml sour cream
2 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried oregano
6 eggs
200g/7oz grated mature cheddar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
toast,rubbed with a garlic clove to serve
hot sauce to serve
6 individual ovenproof ramekins
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and fry the garlic and ham for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the mushrooms and chillies and continue to cook for about 5–10 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown and the chillies begin to soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, parsley and oregano. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture equally between the ramekins and let stand for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
Make a shallow hollow in each mixture and carefully break an egg into each. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes or until the egg whites have set. Remove the ramekins from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheese over all of them. Return to the oven for 5 mins or until the cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately with garlicky toast and hot sauce to splash on the eggs.
Cook’s tip
If it’s very warm in your kitchen, place the mixture in the fridge to set a little before making the hollows and adding the eggs. You can substitute the smoked ham for smoked salmon. Serve with baby leaf salad.
Recommended Chillies
Serrano, Mirasol or Espanola.
Anaheim if you like things a bit milder.
