fried eggs with lentils

fried eggs with lentils
serves 1

If you don’t have time to cook your own lentils, drained canned lentils will work, just season them with a splash of olive oil and vinegar.

1 egg
large handful cooked lentils, recipe HERE

1. Heat a small fry pan on a medium high heat.

2. Add the lentils. Cook for a few minutes just to warm up the lentils. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add a few tablespoons oil and break the egg into the pan.

3. Cook on a medium high heat for about 2 minutes or until the white is brown on the edges and no longer runny or ‘snotty’ in the middle.

4. Serve eggs on top of the lentils with lashings of salt and black pepper.

prepare ahead?

Fried eggs don’t reheat well. Best to make fresh and eat hot.

leftover potential

Eggs will keep in the fridge for a week or so. Reheat gently in a pan over a medium heat or eat them cold. They won’t be as good as when freshly cooked.

variations for fun

carnivore – fry a few rashers of bacon in the pan before cooking the eggs in the bacon fat.

vegan / egg-free – serve the lentils with a large field mushroom that has been pan fried on a high heat until tender.

more substantial – serve 2 eggs per person.

chilli eggs – sprinkle egg with a few pinches of dried chilli flakes after you break it into the pan.

problem solving guide

too bland? remember to be generous with the salt & pepper. And maybe next time look at using better quality eggs.

eggs burning – the trick with cooking eggs ‘sunny side up’ is to get the bottoms lightly browned (but not too dark) and getting the whites cooked through. Spooning a little hot cooking oil over the whites can help speed up the process. And make sure you aren’t using too high a heat.

eggs rubbery – when egg whites are over cooked the protein goes rubbery. Next tine use a more gentle heat and be ready to stop cooking as soon as the whites are just ‘set’.

yolks too runny – if you prefer your yolks cooked all the way through, best to go for eggs ‘over-easy’ and flip the eggs after about 2 minutes and cook on the second side for about 30 seconds or until the white is just set.

serving suggestions

Don’t forget a big mug of hot strong Irish breakfast tea.

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