Recipe: Spanish scrambled eggs

My brunch choices nearly always involve eggs - soft boiled, poached or scrambled, they're always an essential part of my meal.

When the Happy Egg Co. got in touch challenging bloggers to make the humble scrambled egg a little more exotic, I couldn't resist. Given the choice, I would always choose poached or boiled over scrambled egg...but it's time that changed! Scrambled doesn't have to be bland.

It's no secret that breakfast and brunch are my favourite meals. Nothing beats sitting down on a weekend morning with a steaming cuppa, your favourite people...and some great food. This was the perfect chance for me to try something new!

So, last Sunday I headed to the kitchen, fresh from my post-run shower and in desperate need of some brunch. That morning, Spanish-style scrambled eggs seemed the perfect antidote to the chilly January air.

This recipe is inspired by my visits to Madrid and Barcelona and the flavoursome food I experienced there. I loved Spain when I visited, and the culture that I learnt about when I studied Spanish at school. Warm summer days surrounded by tapas bars, bustling streets and hot cobbles underfoot. These eggs brought a little slice of Spain to my kitchen.

I've combined some simple, tasty Spanish flavours to bring a little luxury to a breakfast staple. No Spanish meal, for me, is complete without chorizo. I wanted to make the accompanying toast a little more interesting, and decided to recreate a national dish of Catalonia, pan con tomate, which was served with every meal during my visit to Barcelona in 2011 and is incredibly popular. It's moreish, fresh, and a little different.

This is a quick and easy but delicious alternative to the humble, plain scrambled egg - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Serves 2

You will need:

5 medium eggs (I used Happy Egg Co. eggs, laid by happy hens!)

1 fresh tomato

1 clove of garlic

1 loaf of ciabatta bread

1 chorizo sausage

black pepper

oregano 

splash of milk

(whisk, bowl, frying pan, knife, chopping board)

Gather your ingredients together and get started with preparing everything - it's the easiest way to start!

Crack your eggs into a bowl, add some oregano to taste, a few twists of black pepper and a splash of milk. You won't need salt - trust me. Put this to one side.

Finely chop your chorizo into chunks - for two people I recommend half a standard sausage, but this can be more or less depending how much you want!

Add the chopped chorizo to a pan (no oil needed) and cook over a medium-low heat until the meat is hot and there is oil from the chorizo is in the pan.

As the meat cooks, slice your ciabatta into medium/thick slices and toast. Peel your garlic and halve your tomato.

Make sure you have time to make a cuppa now! It all happens quite quickly from here. An extra pair of hands could help, so get your friend, family member or other half involved. You need to keep an eye on the meat.

Run the garlic clove over your toasted ciabatta, then rub the tomato - cut side down - onto the bread. This should make the ciabatta moist, full of flavour, covered in tomato flesh and pips. You can make it as tomatoey or as plain as you want. Pop onto a plate, ready and waiting for your eggs.

You can't deny it - it's looking pretty tasty by now. I'd suggest doing a few extra slices to nibble on as you finish cooking!

Pour the eggs from the bowl into the pan with the chorizo and fold over a medium heat until they're scrambled to perfection - don't dry them out! The oil from the chorizo will turn the eggs a glorious colour and the smell should be making you very hungry by now.

Serve hot, fresh and tasty straight from the hob with your pan con tomate. ¡Que Delicioso!

If you fancy a veggie alternative, consider adding chunks of tomato, olives and mushrooms instead.

I couldn't get enough of this brunch dish, and it'll be making a very regular appearance on my kitchen table when friends and family visit. I think it's the perfect way to jazz up your simple eggs, bringing a little sunshine to even the chilliest day.

Let me know if you try this recipe out - I'd love to know what you think! How do you spice up your scrambled eggs?

x





*This was not a sponsored post - I chose to take part in the Happy Egg Co.'s blogger challenge after being contacted by email because I love to be creative with food. I never post about a company unless I genuinely love their product.