Shirred eggs with a spicy sauce make a great brunch dish. Serve with toast or Arroz a la Mexicana (page 517).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1 or 2 small dried hot red chiles or about 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

　　3 garlic cloves, chopped

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 small bell pepper, preferably red, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

　　2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (drained canned are fine)

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　8 eggs

　　2 tablespoons butter, melted

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; a minute later, add the chiles and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes saucy, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Put a portion of the sauce in each of 4 ramekins or put all of it in the bottom of a gratin dish. If you’re using a gratin dish, make 8 nests in the sauce using the back of a spoon; crack 1 egg into each nest or 2 eggs into each ramekin. Top with salt, pepper, and the melted butter.

　　

Step 3

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the eggs are barely set. The yolks should still be soft and runny—take care not to overcook.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.