Eggs in Hell, or Purgatory sometimes, are eggs poached in tomato sauce that can be mild of flaming hot. I think the name comes from the look-little islands of sunny yellow and white in a sea of lava-like tomato. The smell will be anything but brimstone-like as long as the eggs are fresh. This makes a great breakfast (some say the name is derived because it is thought to be a hangover curative) or light dinner. Use a spoon to scoop the eggs and sauce onto thick slices of grilled rustic bread. The “Spanish Style” comes from the use of pimenton and padrons.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups of tomatoes, seeded, liquid saved (if the tomatoes are small, don’t bother seeding), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped medium-fine
4 largish padron peppers
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼-½ teaspoon, or to taste Piment d’Espelette (Basque chili powder) or cayenne- optional based on your preference for heat
½-1 teaspoon pimenton de la vera dulce, or to taste
1 teaspoon, or to taste (including skipping it if your tomatoes are very sweet) sugar
1-2 tablespoons fresh marjoram or oregano, or to taste, chopped finely
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar, or as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed (Save the big peppery Tuscan oils for another use)
½ cup or more Manchego, Idiazabal, Mahon, Parmesan, or Gruyere, grated for topping
8 eggs
8 ½-inch thick slices of sturdy bread (Ciabatta, Francese, Campagne, etc.), brushed with olive oil and grilled, or just toasted + more toasts for dipping
METHOD:
Heat a large heavy bottomed sauteuse or skillet* (10-12 inches) over medium heat. When hot, film generously with oil and get almost smoking. Add the padrons and fry until blistered all over, then remove the peppers and drain. Add the onions and toss to coat. Sauté until they are “clear” and getting very soft. Add the garlic and half the chili powder and if you are using it. Add half the pimenton and the chopped herbs, stir and cook 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and stir to combine with the other ingredients. Cook, stirring often to prevent scorching and tomatoes sticking to the bottom. While the tomatoes cook, taste the padrons. You can either mince them and add them to the tomatoes at this point, or cut them into strips to garnish the poached eggs at service-you decide.
Cook the tomatoes until they are saucy and starting to get a little syrupy. If they are drying out, add a bit of water as needed. When they are almost done, taste for spiciness and add more of the chili if desired. Add more pimenton to make it smoky. Scatter with the sugar and drizzle in the vinegar, and stir well. Taste after 30 seconds. The last two elements should make the tomato flavor pop and add brightness to the dish. Add the rest of the herbs and stir in. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Break and egg into a small teacup or pinch bowl, use a spoon to make a divot in the sauce and add the egg. Repeat with the rest, trying to give them each some space and getting the egg into the sauce rather than on it. Cook so the whites set and the yolk remains runny-this should take 5-7 minutes. Scatter with the cheese. If you want the cheese really melted or the eggs are being stubborn about cooking on the top, put the lid of the pan on and allow to steam for a minute or two, then check. This should do the trick.
Put two toasts each on four plates then spoon an each and sauce onto each toast. If you did not add the padrons to the sauce, remember to add the strips onto the tops of the sauced eggs just before serving. Use the extra toasts for cleaning up the remaining sauce in the pan and on the plates.
Chef’s Notes: * Some recipes for this dish will say use a cast-iron skillet. Tomatoes can leach iron from the pan and end up tasting bitter and metallic, and also wreck the finish of the pan, so I would avoid it, but your mileage may vary. If you want to add a little more “hell” to the dish, up the chili usage and go with something spicier. If you have small and milder padron peppers, fry a bunch of them and serve them on the side or pull the stems and drop them into the sauce after frying for little surprises in the sauce.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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