Inspiration for the Dish

I love brunch as much as the next person, and while it is summer it is the perfect time to enjoy fresh and colourful food! It’s the season that makes you want to enjoy those wonderful flavours of southern Europe and imagine you’re off on holiday. Think sweet and juicy tomatoes, citrus flavours and light dairy. That was my inspiration when I came up with this dish, but of course you can enjoy it any time of year.

Brunch has almost become synonymous with dishes involving some form of toasted bread and an egg on top, and this is no exception. I suppose historically we have dishes like Eggs Benedict to thank for that. More recently, the modern obsession with avocado on toast has helped to cement this. With this dish I have tried to focus on a dish that ties together sweet, tangy, creamy and salty flavours together. Combined they create a well rounded and truly satisfying dish that still fills that bunch space. I’ve used classic flavours from southern Italy as a basis create something tasty around.

Tomatoes – the Key Ingredient

The star of the show here is the tomatoes. While it is true that any dish benefits from good quality ingredients, this is particularly true here. If you live in less temperate countries like me, getting a hold of great tomatoes can be a genuine struggle. Shelling out a little big extra to get the good quality stuff is definitely worth it to make this something special. I like to use Dulciz tomatoes because they have a wonderful natural sweetness with a great fruity flavour. Any good quality cherry tomatoes should work though if you cannot find these!

Other Ingredient Considerations

I have used bacon in mine, as it adds a lovely salty umaminess to the dish. If you are vegetarian, you can of course leave this out. You can either skip the bacon rendering step and use some more cooking oil instead, or use something like shiitake mushrooms sauteed to add that same umami level to the flavours.

Similarly, I have added fresh basil for it’s classic combination with tomatoes in Italian cuisine. If this doesn’t do it for you, you could use any fresh herb you prefer or skip them out completely. The poached egg on top is something that I have used to keep that brunch theme and give more protein and bulk, but leave it out or cook it differently if you want. It may sound like everything is an optional ingredient here, but I always encourage people to experiment with cooking. Cooking shouldn’t be about following the steps to the letter. Have fun and see what you can create. Make it your own!

Fresh and Sweet Tomatoes & Bacon with Whipped Lemon Ricotta on Sourdough Toast.

A delicious and vibrant brunch dish, inspired by the flavours of southern Italy!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 People

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch

Cuisine: European, Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the tomatoes

• 1 punnet Dulciz Cherry Tomatoes Or any other good quality tomatoes – halved
• 4 rashers Streaky Smoked Bacon Optional
• 1 pinch Chilli Flakes
• 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Shallot
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 handful Fresh Basil Or other preferred herb – Hand torn
• 2 tsp Olive Oil Extra virgin – If needed

For the ricotta

• 3 tbsp Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 Lemon Juiced and zested

For the poached eggs

• 2 Eggs Poached
• 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt

To serve

• 2 slices Sourdough Bread Toasted

Method

 

1. Cook the tomatoes

1. Cut the bacon into 1 cm pieces and add to a cold pan. Turn the heat up to medium and allow the bacon to render down and release the fat.
   
2. Slice the shallot thinly. Once the bacon has rendered down and started to brown, add the shallot and season with salt & pepper.
3. Thinly slice the garlic. Once the shallot has started to brown (around 3 or 4 minutes), add the garlic and chilli flakes.
   
4. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to let the garlic soften and become aromatic, add the halved tomatoes and mix.
   
5. Cook the tomatoes for 3 to 5 minutes, until they break down and release all of their moisure. Add in the balsamic and mix well.
6. Add in the fresh basil and cook for a further 1 or 2 minutes to let it soften and release it's flavour into the tomatoes.
   

2. Make the whipped lemon ricotta

1. Put the ricotta cheese into a bowl and whip it with a fork. It should become smooth and a litte bit airy.
2. Zest the lemon and juice it. Add both to the ricotta and mix wel.
3. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

3. Poach the eggs

1. Heat a pot of water to a simmer. Add the white wine vinegar and salt
2. Stire the water with a wooden spoon to create a vortex. Crack the eggs directly into the vortex.
3. Leave to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The eggs will start to float to the top of the water when they are fully cooked.

4. To serve

1. Toast and butter your sourdough.
2. Spoon your whipped ricotta on top and spread with the back of the spoon, creating almost a bowl in the middle.
3. Spoon your tomatoes on top.
4. Gently place the poached egg on top. Give a final season with salt & pepper and cut the egg with a knife to let that wonderful golden yoke run.