Spicy Eggplant and Tomato with Poached Eggs

Chef

Sophie Dahl

View

Cookbook

Very Fond of Food: A Year of Recipes

Published by Ten Speed Press

View

This image courtesy of Jan Baldwin

Editor's Note: Here is a nice dish that could be a main course for a light lunch or dinner. Spicy Eggplant and Tomato with Poached Eggs is a very healthy dish that packs a lot of flavor if you are into spice. Your eggplant will benefit from being mixed with paprika, white wine, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, tahini and brown sugar. This dish takes little time to prepare and its flavor benefits are immense. Poach the eggs in a separate pan and when finished put on top of your eggplant and you have a delicious meal to look forward to.

Serves2

Recipe CourseMain Course

MealBrunch, Dinner, Lunch

Taste and TextureHot & Spicy

Type of DishVegetable

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup (250 g) chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon brown sugar
A splash of white wine vinegar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
A handful of chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cut the eggplant into bite-size chunks and soak for about 20 minutes in a bowl of cold water with a few large pinches of salt. Drain, rinse, and pat dry.
In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil, add the garlic and onion, and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the eggplant along with the rest of the oil, making sure the eggplant is thoroughly coated, then add the paprika and cook on a very low heat, covered, for about half an hour, turning occasionally. Add the tomatoes, tahini, and brown sugar and cook for another 10 minutes, mixing it all through. Taste and season accordingly. Keep warm to the side.
Poach the eggs in a pan of gently boiling water (a splash of white wine vinegar should stop them separating). You should poach the eggs for about 3 minutes if you want them soft in the middle (5 if you want them stern and unyielding).
At the last moment, add the lemon juice and parsley to the eggplant mixture. Plate in shallow bowls and place the poached eggs on top, with perhaps a hunk of sourdough to sop up the juices.