Basque Eggs with Crostini

Expecting guests for brunch? Prepare the tomatoes, bell peppers, and baguette the night before and wow your friends with these Basque poached eggs,

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 472 Calories

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 baguette, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed, divided
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped, or more to taste
• 1 dash smoked paprika, or to taste
• 8 thin slices prosciutto, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Brush baguette slices with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place slices on a baking sheet and set aside.

Step 3

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a saute pan and place over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until peppers are soft, 5 to 7 minutes more. Add tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover the pan and cook until all vegetables are softened and have released juices, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until most of the juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes more.

Step 4

Meanwhile, bake baguette slices in the preheated oven and cook for about 8 minutes. Turn slices over and continue baking until toasted, about 7 minutes more. Remove from oven and set crostini aside.

Step 5

Return to the saute pan with the vegetables. Use a wide spoon to make 4 deep wells evenly spaced throughout the mixture in the pan. Crack 1 egg into each well and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, 3 to 8 minutes.

Step 6

Arrange 2 prosciutto slices in a loose, 5-inch circle on an individual serving plate to create a "nest" for the tomato-egg mixture. Use a large slotted spoon to scoop out 1 egg with surrounding tomato mixture and place it in the nest on the plate. Repeat with remaining prosciutto, eggs, and tomato mixture. Add a few crostini on the side of each plate and serve.