First posted: Mar 27, 2015
Breakfast Toast Pots
I. Love. Brunch. And these really call in the weekend with gusto. Of all the things I’ve ever cooked or dreamed up, these are what my Dad says he would go back to a restaurant for a hundred times over. He really said a hundred, and he’s even had them for dinner. They’re done in a flash, but just add that something special to the breakfast or brunch table. They are inspired by one of our favourite brunch spots in Joburg, NICE Eatery in Parkhurst. There they do a smoked salmon version too, which you could easily do at home using chopped smoked salmon and a homemade hollandaise instead of the bacon and tomatoes. Really, go wild, the world is your toast basket.
This recipe is from my cookbook Smitten, and the styling was done by Lisa Clark, and the photo is by Warren Heath.
Ingredients
Cooks in: Serves:4
- 250g bacon, roughly chopped
- 75g chorizo sausage, chopped (optional but delicious)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or the equivalent amount of any tomatoes)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices fresh bread
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4–8 eggs (depending on whether each person would like 1 or 2)
- Small handful fresh basil leaves
What to do
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Fry the bacon and chorizo in a heavy-bottomed frying pan on medium–high heat for 2–3 minutes and then add the tomatoes, chopped basil and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 2. In the meantime, remove the crusts from the bread and gently roll out the slices with a rolling pin until about half their thickness. Lightly brush one side of each slice with olive oil. Place each slice, olive oil side down, into an individual ramekin and push down gently so that it ‘lines’ the dish. 3. Divide the bacon mixture between the ramekins, top each with 1 or 2 raw eggs and then place all the ramekins in the oven, covered with a sheet of tinfoil. Bake for 7–10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Remove the toast pots from the ramekins, top each with some fresh basil and serve immediately. Photo from 'Smitten' by Warren Heath.
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