Leek, Cabbage and Poached Eggs

One thing I am always on the lookout for is simple but delicious weekday meals for when time is tight - in fact I’ve made it twice in the last few days! I am keen on big flavour and simple processes, and this recipe uses smoked paprika to elevate the vegetables. I added poached eggs to bring a source of protein and creaminess to the dish and finished it with a garnish of parsley and a little hot sauce to add extra warmth and spice.

I had some leeks that needed using up, along with a red cabbage and because it was a cooler day I was craving something with a bit of heat and plenty of taste. I made this as simple as possible, ensuring that all the vegetables were chopped and cooked together, and poached the eggs as the vegetables neared completion. If you are worried about poaching eggs, fear not! Egg poaching has been overcomplicated and I will show you a method that makes the process a breeze.

Recipe (Serves 2)

• 1 small red cabbage or half a medium sized cabbage

• 2 medium leeks

• 1 large red onion

• 5-6 cloves of garlic

• 4 eggs

• Olive oil

• 2 tsp of smoked paprika

• Salt and pepper

• Parsley (or coriander)

Step 1

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/390F. Prepare the vegetables by cutting the red cabbage and red onion into 2-3cm (1in) wedges. Clean the leeks and chop these into 4-5cm (2in) sections. Finally, remove 5-6 cloves of garlic from a bulb - there is no need to peel these as you can pop the cloves out of the case once they’ve been roasted for a delicious hit of garlic. Place all of the vegetables into a large roasting tray and then chop the parsely finely to use as a garnish and place this to once side.

Step 2

Add a dash of olive oil over the vegetables (around 2tbsp) and a generous grind of salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the smoked paprika over the vegetables and use your hands to gently mix it together so all the seasoning and smoked paprika is evenly coating the vegetables. Place the roasting tray into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. Wash up the knife and chopping board.

Step 3

Around 5 minutes before the timer for the oven goes off, fill your kettle with water and bring it to a boil. Once the water has boiled, place in a medium saucepan and turn your hob on to the hottest setting so the water maintains a raging boil.

When the timer beeps for the vegetables, remove the tray from the oven and give the vegetables a good mix. Add a drop of oil if they’re looking a little dry and return back to the oven and set a 10-minute timer.

Step 4

Bring the water down to a vigorous simmer and add a generous pinch of salt. Then gently stir the water so it’s travelling around the pan at a gentle pace, rather than trying to create a vortex! Crack an egg and carefully and slowly release it in the centre of the saucepan and set a timer for 2 minutes. Once these two minutes are up, use a large wooden spoon (preferable with drainage holes) to remove the egg from the pan and place this into a warm bowl. Repeat this for the over eggs.

Step 5

Once the last egg is poached, it will be time to take the vegetables out of the oven (there should only be a minute or so left on the timer) and spoon these onto a plate. Add the two poached eggs on top for both plates. Finally, garnish with parsley, pepper, and some drops of your favourite hot sauce for a welcome kick.

Happy eating - Huw

Note: If you would like to double this recipe to feed 4, use a larger saucepan and poach two eggs at a time.