BAKED SPICY MEXICAN EGGS

Eggs poached or baked in a fiery tomato sauce are a popular breakfast all around the world. There’s a famous North African version called shakshuka, which sometimes has artichokes or broad beans in it, but here I’m giving it a more Latin American flavor by adding black beans and cooking it on a base of corn tortillas. Grated cheese and chopped coriander finish it off nicely, but you could always go further and add sliced avocado and sour cream if you like.

Olive oil, for frying and greasing

1 red onion, peeled and diced

1 wide green chili, e.g. jalapeño, or ordinary green chili if unavailable, sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 × 400g tin cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

4–6 corn tortillas, halved

6 free-range eggs

50g Cheddar cheese, finely grated

2 pinches of chili flakes, or to taste a Small handful of coriander, finely chopped Sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4, and heat the grill as well if you have an oven grill function.

2. Place a frying pan over medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the onion, chili, and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until tender and dark golden, about 6 minutes. Add the cumin and cook until aromatic. Stir in the tomatoes and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans, heat through for 2 minutes, then set aside.

3. Grease a baking dish with a little oil and sprinkle some seasoning on the bottom of it. Line the dish with the tortillas, overlapping them and raising them slightly above the edge of the dish. Pour in the tomato mixture, then make 6 little wells in it.

4. Break an egg into a cup, then pour it into a well so that the yolk sits neatly in the middle. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Sprinkle over the cheese and chili flakes and season with salt and pepper.

5. Place the dish on a shelf two-thirds of the way up the oven so that the grill (if on) can color the cheese. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked through, the yolks runny and the cheese melted and golden. If you don’t have an oven grill, bake for a further 3–4 minutes.

6. Scatter with the coriander before serving.

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