Eggs in Purgatory
Eggs in purgatory are eggs served in a delicious, rich and spicy tomato sauce. In this recipe, I use poached eggs and made a simple and super quick tomato sauce that you're sure to love. Served with slices of crusty char-grilled bread, perfect for dipping.
Eggs in purgatory are eggs served in a delicious, rich and spicy tomato sauce. In this recipe, I use poached eggs and made a simple and super quick tomato sauce that you're sure to love. Served with slices of crusty char-grilled bread, perfect for dipping.
- Carbohydrate 1.82496812434559 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.14659312534557 g
- Fiber 0.941293742902251 g
- Protein 0.4834399998505 g
- Saturated Fat 0.138583750046502 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (116g)
- Sodium 23.9033932257825 mg
- Sugar 0.883674381443339 g
- Trans Fat 0.0759828125048499 g
- Calories 17 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic, chilli, fennel seeds, and paprika, fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and a little water, stir to combine and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until reduced and thickened slightly. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Once the sauce is ready you can start the eggs, make sure to keep the sauce on a low heat or warm up just before serving.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and crack the eggs into individual ramekins (or do one at a time).
- Turn the heat off the water so it's no longer boiling and carefully drop the eggs one by one into the water. The best way to do this is to lower the ramekin enough so the edge is touching the water then drop it in.
- Let the eggs poach in the water for 4-5 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and pat with kitchen paper to remove excess water. Add the eggs to the warm sauce and serve with toasted ciabatta slices and scatter over fresh parsley.
Dropping raw eggs directly into simmering acidic tomato sauce often results in either curdled whites or overcooked yolks due to pH interference and uneven heat distribution. Controlling protein coagulation requires thermal precision; acidic environments lower the coagulation temperature of albumin, causing whites to toughen unevenly if the liquid boils too vigorously. Maintaining a gentle simmer keeps the thermal transfer gradual, yielding a tender exterior while leaving the yolk liquid. Fennel seeds and paprika bloom in olive oil during the initial sauté, releasing fat-soluble aromatic compounds into the pan before the canned tomatoes introduce moisture.
Achieving Structural Integrity
Textural failure in this dish stems from excess water dilution. Simmering the canned tomatoes for eight to ten minutes drives off free water molecules, concentrating the natural pectins to form a thick emulsion capable of suspending the protein structures without pooling. Water content must remain low so the sauce clings to the bread.
- Water temperature must drop below a boil before sliding eggs in to prevent turbulent disruption of the delicate whites.
- Paper towels absorb residual poaching liquid from the surface of the cooked eggs before integration.
- Salt addition should occur strictly after the tomatoes thicken to prevent osmotic water extraction from altering the reduction rate.
