Sweet peppers and tomatoes are gently cooked over a low heat until soft and saucy, then baked in the oven with eggs and Comté until bubbling and golden. The chorizo gives a wonderfully meaty, smoky flavour, but this could be left out, and a good pinch of paprika can provide the smokiness instead.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190℃ normal / 170℃ fan.
2. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and, once hot, fry the chorizo for about 2 minutes (you want the chorizo to sizzle as it hits the pan), turning it frequently, until just browned on the outside (it takes less time to cook than you think and you may need to turn down the heat), then remove it from the pan onto a plate, keeping the oil in the pan to cook the rest of the ingredients.
3. Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat, add the oil and then the onions and peppers. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary and stirring regularly to ensure the onions and peppers do not burn, and fry them until they are soft and the onions are golden. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and water and simmer for another 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and saucy. Add the chorizo and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the mixture between four individual oven-proof dishes (I use the terracotta ones often used for tapas) and make two wells in each – into these, very carefully break in two eggs per dish. Sprinkle the Comté over the four dishes and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes until the whites of the eggs are cooked (ie white and no longer translucent). Turn on the grill and cook for a couple of minutes more until the cheese is golden and bubbling, but keep a close eye on it so that it does not burn.

Tip: If you want to make the pepper and tomato mix in advance, that works really well, but heat it up in a saucepan before putting it into the dishes to bake in the oven so that the timings still work.

Comté Recipe 2020 © Laura Pope 2020