Poached eggs on chilli tomato sauce

For the sauce:

Heat a pan on medium heat and add oil. Add the onions and fry until they just start to brown.

Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a few seconds.

Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt. Cook for 5 minutes and reduce the heat.

Cook until the sauce thickens by half, stirring so that the sauce does not catch at the bottom of the pan. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and add freshly ground pepper.

Set the sauce aside.

For the poached eggs:

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with cold water. Heat the pan on medium until bubbles just start to form. Turn the heat down to low. You want simmering, not boiling water. Add the vinegar to the water. The vinegar helps the egg to stay intact.

Add ice cubes to a small bowl and keep a few pieces of paper towel nearby.
Break an egg into a small bowl (I’ve tried breaking the egg into the pan and using a bowl s really the easiest method). Have your slotted spoon ready at the side.

With a spatula in one hand, stir the water around to create a vortex in the center of the water.
Slip the egg into the vortex. It will spin and look strange with white bits flailing about. Have faith.
Use the slotted spoon to gentle move the white bits together so they reattach to the egg. Do not fuss over this too much.

Get the timer out – 2.5 minutes is sufficient, but your times may vary. Most books suggest 3 minutes for a runny yolk.

If the egg falls to the bottom of the pan, lift it gently with the slotted spoon after 30 seconds have passed.
Once the timer goes off, scoop out the egg with the slotted spoon. Place into bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. Dry gently with paper towels.

Heat up the sauce before you remove the egg from the water. Spoon over toasted English muffin halves. Top with poached egg, chopped chives and a splash of lime juice.

Reprinted with permission of The Food and the Fabulous. To read The Food and the
Fabulous‘ blog, click here.