Eggs in Purgatory
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic (slice thin)
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 28 oz canned tomatoes (I usually use San Marzano whole tomatoes)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 6 eggs
- grated parmesan
- fresh parsley (chopped)
- Crusty bread or English muffins (toasted)
Directions
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat with sliced garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Let cook until the garlic is golden (the butter will likely start to bubble as the water cooks out of it).
- Add canned tomatoes, salt, smoked paprika, pepper and rosemary sprig.
- Crush up tomatoes with your spoon or spatula and let cook until the tomatoes start to thicken. About 20 minutes.
- Once the tomatoes are almost done, start on your toast. I prefer English muffins and usually throw 5 or 6 under the broiler to cook them all at once.
- Melt the remaining butter into the tomatoes and then make six divots in the tomato sauce and break the eggs into them. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook until eggs are cooked to your liking. For runny yolks, plan on about 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Not too long ago I saw a clip of Anthony Bourdain telling Nigella Lawson how “savagely hungover” he was and her go-to cure was to throw together eggs in purgatory. I can’t imagine a better name for a meal to help nurse you back to health after a night of too much drinking. But it’s also an easy dish to throw together and most of the ingredients you already have in your pantry.
We always have eggs in the house and I try to keep canned tomatoes on hand. It’s usually the San Marzano tomatoes because I’ll pick them up here and there whenever I see them on sale. Dried thyme or oregano would work great if you’re low on fresh herbs.
Take your eggs out when you first start cooking to get them closer to room temperature. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat with the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Slicing the garlic, as opposed to mincing it, helps with flavor distribution in the dish without making the taste too bitter. Once the garlic is golden and the butter is starting to bubble or foam, add the tomatoes, spices and rosemary to the pan and crush them up a little with your wooden spoon . Any tomatoes will work here whether they’re whole, diced or crushed. Let the tomatoes cook down until they begin to thicken. This will probably take around twenty minutes.
While the tomatoes are cooking, start toasting your bread. I love English muffins or sourdough, but any bread you have on hand will work. It’s just there to soak up the tomato juices and egg.
Next, melt the rest of your butter and make six divots in the thickened mixture. Break the eggs into each of the divots and cover the pan until the eggs are cooked to your liking. If your pan doesn’t have a lid, simply use tin foil. The steam will help cook the eggs evenly and make sure the whites are cooked all the way through.