Polenta breakfast bowl with smoky tomatoes & fried eggs

Name: Polenta breakfast bowl with smoky tomatoes & fried eggs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder; 150 g Polenta Valsugana; 10 g unsalted butter; 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 50 g extra mature Cheddar, grated; 25 g pack basil, most leaves ripped up, few small whole leaves to serve; 2 tsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for frying; 270 g pack cherry vine tomatoes; 1 clove/s garlic, finely grated; ½ tsp sea salt flakes; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 2 eggs (No.1 Longstock Gold Free Range are perfect here)

Elly Curshen's recipe is for a smooth, cheesy polenta speckled with fragrant basil, served with smoky, charred paprika tomatoes and fried eggs. Not only do you save on washing up by using the same pan twice, but also get the delicious garlicky, tomato and paprika flavour on the fried eggs.

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Vegetarian

Serves2
CourseBrunch
Prepare10 mins
Cook15 mins
Total time25 mins

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1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
150g Polenta Valsugana
10g unsalted butter
20g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
50g extra mature Cheddar, grated
¼ x 25g pack basil, most leaves ripped up, few small whole leaves to serve
2 tsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for frying
270g pack cherry vine tomatoes
1 clove/s garlic, finely grated
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 eggs (No.1 Longstock Gold Free Range are perfect here)

Bring 750ml water to the boil in a large saucepan and whisk in the bouillon. Add the polenta to the boiling stock and stir continuously with the whisk over a medium heat for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the butter, cheeses and basil and stir well to combine. Season well with black pepper (it probably won’t need salt, but you decide), then set aside, covered with a lid, to keep warm and allow the cheeses to melt.
In a separate frying pan, add 1 tsp oil and place over a high heat. Add the tomatoes, then leave undisturbed for about 3 minutes to allow them to char and blister.
Give the pan a shake and add 1 tsp oil, the garlic, sea salt and paprika. Lower the heat. Swirl for a minute until the garlic and paprika smell fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Tip the tomatoes into a bowl and cover with a plate to keep warm. Don’t wash the pan. In the same pan, fry the eggs to your liking in 1 tbsp oil. Serve the tomatoes and eggs on the polenta, with extra basil to garnish.

Cook’s tip

More leftove ideas

1. For baked margherita-style polenta, cook the polenta as above, then stir in some pesto instead of the butter and cheeses. Pour into a large greased baking dish. Bake in a hot oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until firm. Smooth over some tomato sauce, such as Mutti Classic Pizza Sauce, then cover with basil and slices of mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes more, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.

2. Try a polenta cake with a delicious texture – it works particularly well with citrus fruit. You'll find lots of options, including Martha Collison's polenta cake, soaked with orange syrup, at waitrose.com/recipes.

3. For leftover polenta chunky chips, loosen the polenta in a pan with a splash of boiling water, then pour into a greased, lined tray. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, then cut into chunky chips. Brush with olive oil, dust with a little dry polenta, arrange on a greased baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe