Eggs in Purgatory

Eggs In Purgatory

No – these eggs will not send you to hell – dare I say, I think that they are heavenly (but, spicy). I love the taste of these lovely eggs – the simplicity of the ingredients and the wonderful palate for eyes and tongue!  This recipe is a great example peasant food that doesn’t necessarily taste like something ‘cheap’. This is an example of how eating real food doesn’t need to mean strange ingredients that break the bank!

I like my eggs with the whites set, and the yolks runny.  But, you can change the cooking time to get the eggs the way you want them.

Enjoy throughout the New Year.

Eggs in Purgatory

For the tomato sauce:

2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

½ green pepper, finely chopped

½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or more, if you desire)

1 rib of celery, chopped finely

1 carrot, chopped finely

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup of chicken broth (preferably, no salt)

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)

1 Tbsp. good balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper, to taste

3 eggs – room temperature (this is key – it helps the white set better)

2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 ^oF.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium size skillet. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, red pepper flakes and some salt (~ ¼ tsp). Sauté until the vegetables are soft (about 4 minutes).
3. Add the celery, carrot and thyme and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth, and cook down until most of the liquid evaporates (this stops the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the skillet).
4. Add the remaining chicken broth, the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. Let cook so the flavors can meld together. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
5. Crack each egg into a cup (being careful NOT to break the yolk). Make 3 wells in the sauce and gently ease the eggs into their respective wells. Season the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle the Parmesan onto each egg and place into the oven.
7. Cooking time depends on how you like your egg – for me, I like my yolks runny – so, it took about 7 – 8 minutes. If you like them with a bit more firmness, 12 – 14 minutes works well.