RECIPE: Quick Leek & Mushroom Egg Brunch

I received some leeks the other day from a neighbour and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Then I made a delicious 'disco cauliflower' recipe with one, a vegetable pie with another and then this... mushroom and leek eggs.

I did some research online to decide what to do with my last two leeks (I know, that's how exciting my life is at the moment!) and got inspired from an Ottolenghi recipe. 

Needless to say, it was good! Like seriously good! I would mention though, like when cooking with onions, you need patience. When browning the leeks, you want them to really caramelise and so this won't happen in a couple of minutes, I think I was stood by the pan for a good ten minutes before I was ready to add the mushrooms, but let me tell you... it was so worth the wait!

WHAT YOU NEED

• 2 leeks sliced into 1cm discs
• large handful of chestnut mushroom quartered
• 2 large handfuls of spinach
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 small pack of feta cheese
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp garlic oil
• 2-3 tbsps of vegetable stock (I like the liquid stock in a bottle which I add and then add a splash of water to it)
• salt & pepper
• Z'attar and chilli flakes to garnish

METHOD

• In a large frying pan (which you can put a lid on) add the oil and warm.
• Add the leeks and fry for around 10 mins with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
• Once the leeks have caramelised and fallen apart, add the mushrooms and continue to fry for a few more minutes until they have started to become golden
• Add your mixed herbs and vegetable stock and stir it together
• Add your spinach, stir as best as you can and then clamp on a lid until the spinach begins to wilt.
• Once the spinach has softened squeeze in the lemon juice and using a spoon, make four 'wells' in the pan and crack an egg into each one
• Crumble a handful of feta cheese all around the pan and then clamp on the lid again over a low to medium heat until the tops of the eggs are cooked and no longer slimy.
• Remove the lid and off the heat, add another grinding of black pepper, a sprinkle of z'attar, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and serve with some toasted sourdough an extra bit of heartiness.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did,

Stay safe,

Em x