This is a favourite lunch – and sometimes weekend breakfast – in our house. It’s delicious and filling (three eggs per person). I sometimes make another layer by spreading mashed avocado – season it and add lemon or lime – on the toast first.

I normally roast lots of tomatoes, not for this dish but to have for others (they are great to have in the fridge), as it makes no sense to put the oven on for a small amount. Try to cook other things in the oven at the same time.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves

Two

Ingredients

8 plum tomatoes, halved
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2½ tsp soft light-brown sugar
4-6 large eggs
2-4 thick slices of white bloomer (or whatever bread you prefer), depending on the size of the slices
mayonnaise and Tabasco or other hot sauce, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4.

2. Put the tomatoes into a small roasting tin in a single layer. Add the olive oil, balsamic and chilli flakes, and toss the tomatoes, finishing with them cut-side up. Season.

3. Sprinkle the sugar equally over the tomatoes and roast for 40-45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender and slightly singed in places. They will have shrunk too.

4. Put some water in a bowl and add ice cubes. Bring a pan of water to the boil and, once it’s boiling, add the eggs. Cook for seven minutes. This will give you ‘jammy eggs’, or eggs that are still soft right in the centre of the yolks.

5. When the eggs have cooked for seven minutes, put them in the bowl of iced water and, when they are cool enough to handle but still hot, peel them.

6. Toast the bread then divide the tomatoes and all their juices between the slices.

7. Halve the still warm eggs and put them on top. Season the eggs. Daub with mayo then shake on the Tabasco, as much or as little as you want. Serve immediately.