CHILLI EGGS (A New York State of Mind): RECIPES FROM TASHAS INSPIRED

The gorgeous tashas Inspired is the second cookbook by restaurateur Natasha Sideris, founder of the popular tashas boutique cafés. We bring you four recipes from her inspired take on café culture, to get you thinking like a restaurateur, with table settings and music for every menu!

SERVES 4

Any chef will tell you that the biggest challenge of making a cooked breakfast is not the eggs but having everything hot and ready to serve at the same time. There are only three components to this breakfast – hashbrowns (potato rösti or Jewish latkes), sauce, and poached eggs – but you need to plan ahead to get it right. Streamline by roasting the peppers and tomatoes at the same time. When they're done, leave the oven on but turn it down very low so you can use it as a warming drawer while poaching the eggs.

CHILLI RED PEPPERS

• 2 red peppers

• 24 cherry tomatoes

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium red onion,sliced salt & pepper

• 1 tbsp chopped chives

• 2 small red bird’s-eye chillies,seeded & finely sliced

POTATO RÖSTI

• 2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled & coarsely grated

• salt & black pepper

• 1 tbsp onion flakes

• olive oil for frying

POACHED EGGS

• 2 l hot water

• dash of vinegar

• 8 eggs

• 2 tbsp chives, chopped

CHILLI RED PEPPERS: Cut the red peppers in half, scrape out the seeds and rub with olive oil. Place them skin side up under a very hot grill. The skin will wrinkle and blacken within a few minutes. Take them out of the oven and put them in a glass bowl covered with cling wrap to sweat. Once the peppers have cooled, the skins should slip off fairly easily, and you can scrape off any resistant bits with the back of a knife. Discard the skins and slice the peppers into long thin strips. Turn the oven setting to 180°C and roast the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray until they begin to colour. Sauté the onion in a little olive oil until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the sliced peppers and tomatoes, squashing the tomatoes gently to release their juices. Cook for a few minutes to make a glossy, chunky sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, but only stir in the chives and chilli just before serving.

POTATO RÖSTI: Season the grated

round flat discs, and fry over medium heat in a little olive oil. Press the rösti down firmly with a spatula to help the grated potato stick together. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Drain and keep warm in the oven at a very low temperature.

POACHED EGGS: Fill a deep pot about two-thirds full with water and bring it to simmering (not boiling) point. Add just a dash of vinegar – overdo it, and your eggs will smell sour. Crack each egg into a small cup first, then swirl the simmering water with a wooden spoon to create a whirlpool.

Now gently lower the egg right into the middle of the vortex. Keep swirling until the egg white becomes solid and opaque. The longer you stir, the firmer the yolk will be. If you’re not serving breakfast immediately, keep the eggs aside in ice-cold water. They will firm up immediately. Just before serving, reheat them briefly in boiling water – not more than a minute if you like them runny.

TO SERVE: Spoon chilli red pepper mixture onto röstis, top with poached eggs and garnish with chives.

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN

We have a copy to give away of tashas Inspired, courtesy of Quivertree publishers. To stand a chance to win, send an email to info@silverdigest.co.za with 'tashas Inspired' in the subject line.