‘TIS the season of eggs and while I’m yet to be convinced that there’s an egg dish to rival the classic soft boiled and soldiers, I do think that this Mexican-inspired brunch comes very, very close. There’s a little bit of stove work required to begin with, but the rich smoky tomatoes are well worth the effort.

If you are feeling carnivorous, you could fry some chorizo and add it to the sauce, or to make a heartier meal of it, serve alongside a green salad and some crispy sautéed potatoes.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1½ tsp chipotle paste

Henderson’s Relish

Salt

Pepper

1 or 2 red peppers, sliced

4 large eggs

fresh coriander

Method

1. To begin, make the tomato sauce. Add the onions, garlic and olive oil to a saucepan and sweat over a low heat for about ten minutes until softened. Add the chilli and let cook for another five minutes – be sure not to let anything burn.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, a few good glugs of Henderson’s Relish, chipotle paste and season well with salt and black pepper. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes until starting to thicken.

3. Add the sliced red peppers and cook for a further five to ten minutes until softened. Check the seasoning of the sauce at this stage and turn on the oven to preheat at 200C/Gas 6.

4. Now take a roasting dish (I used a 23cm square one). Pour in the sauce and shake to spread it evenly. Make four shallow wells evenly spaced and crack an egg into each one, being sure to keep the yolk whole.

5. Cover the tray with foil or place a metal baking sheet over the top and then pop into the oven for ten to 15 minutes until the egg whites are set – you want the yolks to still be oozy when you cut into them.

6.Allow to cool for a minute or two before garnishing with chopped fresh coriander and serving with your favourite crusty bread.

Victoria is the author of This is Gluten Free and owner of 2 Oxford Place, Gillygate, York