Pesto Potato & Eggs (with tomato and fried basil)

Although I would class this as a ‘breakfast’ dish, I’ve never actually had it for breakfast. Lets be honest, this many carbs first thing in the morning is just going to make me want to go back to bed and sleep off my food coma. It is however, perfect for a late brunch or even for an easy dinner. Based on this recipe, we’ve had this dish a few times and every time I make it we think of new ingredients to include next time (the boys want diced bacon to add to the mix, but I think that’s taking it a little too far!) Its substantial enough to be the main course, but would also be a great side dish.

Basically it’s the Swiss army knife of potato dishes.

No matter when or how you decide to make this meal, I promise you wont be disappointed. The fact that it’s super easy to make doesn’t hurt either…

What You Need:

Medium sized potatoes (1 per person)
Eggs, (1 per person)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of Pesto (per person)
Olive oil
4 cloves of Garlic
A handful of basil leaves
A punnet of cherry or grape tomatoes

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and set aside a medium sized dish or baking tray.

2. Scrub and/or peel your potatoes and slice into thin strips and place in a bowl. Crush and peel 4 cloves  of garlic and add to the potato.

3. Lightly toss the potato with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a cup and set aside.

4. In a frying pan or skillet, cook the potatoes and garlic on a high heat for around 10 - 15 minutes until they crisp on the edges.

5. Place the cooked potatoes in your dish or baking tray and spoon in the pesto. You can use store bought or even make your own. Toss until the potato is evenly covered.

6. Half the tomatoes and disperse evenly across the potatoes.  Put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes to brown the top.

7. Remove from the oven and pour the eggs on top,  trying to get the egg evenly throughout the dish. Season with salt and pepper and return to the oven to bake until the eggs are just set.

8. While the eggs are cooking prepare the fried basil; Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and allow the pan to get hot (about one minute). Very carefully add the basil leaves to the oil one at a time. Ensure the basil is completely dry before starting. Stand back  as the oil will sizzle and maybe splatter, and allow the basil to fry for about 30 seconds. When the sizzling starts to  slow you can remove the basil gently and lay them on a paper towel-covered plate to soak any excess oil.

9. Remove the potato mixture from the oven and scatter the fried basil on top. Serve while still hot.