With groundhog day still very much upon us, no restaurants to visit and weather that makes night-time outdoor trysts about as appealing as taking out the bins, you could do worse than turn Valentine’s Day on its head this year and make breakfast instead. Have a lie-in, work up an appetite, then get creative in the kitchen. These eggs are made for sharing and are one helluva brunch. Happy Valentine’s Day, all.
Valentine’s green brunch eggs
For extra deliciousness, heat 30g butter in a small pan, season with half a teaspoon of chilli flakes (I like chipotle) and pour over the eggs just before serving.
Prep 10 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 2
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
½ green chilli, finely chopped
1 bunch coriander, leaves and stalks separated
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
450g spinach, washed
Juice of 1 lime
6 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt
4 eggs
To serve
60g feta
Flatbreads
Heat a large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium-low heat and toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Add the oil, onion, garlic, chilli and finely chopped coriander stems, season with salt, pepper and the ground coriander, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft.
Stir the spinach and a tablespoon of water into the onion mix and cook until the spinach has wilted. Tip everything into a blender, add the coriander leaves (keep a few back to dress the plate), squeeze in the lime juice and blitz to a puree.
Heat the grill. Pour the puree back into the frying pan, turn the heat to low and stir in the yoghurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning and, once warmed through, make four small wells in the puree and crack in the eggs. Put under the grill for four to six minutes, until the whites are just cooked, then decorate with crumbled feta and the remaining coriander, and serve with hot flatbreads.
And for the rest of the week …
Make these eggs your own: depending on my mood, I add caraway or coriander seeds, sumac or onion seeds. And in the spring, mix some sorrel into the spinach for a lemony twist.
