After 32 years living in the Scotland, I finally enjoyed my first trip across the Irish Sea to visit some friends just outside Belfast. Aside from enjoying my first Irish pint of Guinness and the treat of watching Ireland win the 6 nations, we of course indulged in some quality grub. For breakfast on the Saturday morning we popped into a lovely small cafe which was serving this very dish. After scoffing it down and enjoying every delicious mouthful I was keen to try and recreate it at home. Ingredients (per portion):
1 large free range egg (as fresh as possible for poaching)
1/2 a ripe avocado
1/2 lime
2 rashers thick cut smoked back bacon
1 thick slice sour dough bread
handful washed rocket
extra virgin olive oil
This recipe is unapologetically simple, so make sure the ingredients are the best quality you can find/afford.
What I did:
To poach the egg boil the kettle and place the water into a small pan. For poached eggs you want the water about 80C, so not really even simmering, let alone boiling. This will keep the whites lovely and delicate whilst allowing the yolk time to thicken into a lovely rich sauce like consistency. Once your temperature is right, crack the egg into a small bowl and add it to the water (you can swirl the water before adding it if you like). 4 mins later and the egg will be spot on.
For the bacon, grill or fry to your liking.
When preparing the Avocado, cut in half, remove the seed and scoop out the deliciously fragrant flesh. Mash with a fork adding a little salt and pepper (not too much as the bacon is salty and the rocket peppery) and a good squeeze of the lime juice. The lime balances the richness of the egg yolk perfectly.
If possible rub the the sourdough with a little oil and griddle to add an extra dimension of flavour to the dish. If you’re in a hurry simply stick it in the toaster, or under the grill with the bacon.
To plate up, generously spread the mashed avocado on the toast. Place on a few rocket leaves and then your bacon. Top the whole thing with the poached egg, a pinch of salt and drizzle of oil.
Grab your knife and fork and dig in.
Easy?
Don’t rush your egg poaching. Everything else is a breeze.
Healthy?
This is undoubtedly high in fat. As long as you’re not having it everyday, it’s a pretty great way to get some brilliant nutrition and a good contrast to other ‘healthy’ breakfasts which can be really high in sugar (granola – we’re looking at you!)
Eggs are high in choline which is a vital part of nervous system development and avocados are brilliant for keeping a healthy heart.
Cheap?
This certainly feels like a treat but between two people it’s probably only around £4 in total (you’re only using one slice of bread and one egg each!).