Huevos Rancheros

There are several advantages to working from home.  One - you can go to work in your pyjamas.  Two - you don't have to suffer from the terrible canteen food at lunchtime.

Heaven on a plate

You'd think I'd've learnt now to take my own lunch but by the time I've cooked three different dinners and made two other packed lunches, I usually can't be bothered to do my own so live on overpriced jacket potatoes and tuna courtesy of Sodexo.

Fridays is always fish-finger sandwiches all round but I cherish Thursdays as I spend my half hour lunchtime making myself something special.  The child is napping, the husband is napping (childcare is stressful, donchya know!) so I sneak down to the kitchen for something lovely.

And because it was so flipping miserable outside today, I decided to whip up some Huevos Rancheros courtesy of Thomasina Miers.  It's something I've wanted to try for simply ages and it was well worth the wait.  In fact it was soooo good, I intend to have it again for my tea tonight to use up the rest of the gorgeous tomato sauce.  The lovely Bridestock Bride blogged about planning to make this recently so if you've not already made it Laura, I would highly recommend this recipe :o)

Recipe - serves 4

• 
  
• • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1–2 red chillies, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 tins plums tomatoes
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon piloncillo or demerara sugar
  • A generous few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
  • A small handful of chopped tarragon
  • 4 corn tortillas, chapattis or other flat breads
  • 4 eggs
  • 60g Lancashire cheese (I used feta)

1. First, get the tomato sauce cooking. Heat 2 tablespoons of the lard in a wide saucepan and add the onion and chilli.
2. Let them sweat over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, cook for a few minutes more, and then add the tomatoes. Season the sauce well with salt, pepper, sugar and Worcestershire sauce, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to make a roughly textured sauce. Leave the tomatoes to gently cook over a low heat for half an hour, adding a little water if they get too dry.
3. When you are ready to eat, melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of the lard in a frying pan and gently turn the flat breads in the fat. Put them in a low oven, wrapped in foil, to keep warm, along with four plates. Add the tarragon to the sauce and stir.
4. Melt the rest of the lard in the frying pan and turn the heat right up until the fat is sizzling. Fry the eggs, two at a time, spooning the lard over the top of them so that they turn a golden colour at the edges and absorb some of the flavour. Season the eggs well with salt and pepper.
5. Put a flat bread on each plate and top with the tomato sauce. Put a fried egg on top and scatter with the grated Lancashire cheese.