Gratinee of Eggs Basque

An ingenious little supper dish for one, this, but with plenty of colour and flavour. If you're less hungry, just use one egg.

Serves 1

Gratinee of Eggs Basque

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 medium-sized courgette, sliced thinly
½ small green pepper, chopped into ½ inch (1 cm) squares
½ medium onion, chopped small
2 ripe red tomatoes, or 2 tablespoons Italian tinned tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
1½ oz (40 g) grated Parmesan, or any other hard cheese
1 level teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Equipment
You will also need a 7 inch (18 cm) heavy-based frying-pan, and a round 6 inch (15 cm) gratin dish, buttered.

Method

Pre-heat the grill, pour boiling water over the tomatoes (if you're using fresh ones), then after a couple of minutes peel off the skins and chop the flesh up roughly. Now in a 7 inch (18 cm) heavy-based frying-pan, heat the oil and fry the onion and pepper over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until golden and almost cooked. Then draw them to one side of the pan and add the courgette slices: brown these on both sides, then add the garlic and stir everything together. Next add the chopped tomatoes and a good seasoning of salt and pepper, and let it all cook for 1 minute more. Now spoon the mixture into a gratin dish and spread it out evenly, making two little spaces for the eggs. Break 2 eggs into these spaces, season them, then sprinkle the cheese all over. Place the dish approximately 4 inches (10 cm) away from the grill, and cook for 10-15 minutes, dpending on how you like your eggs. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and with lots of crusty French bread.

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