Poached Egg with Nduja, Sage, & Leek or Fudgy Eggs Recipe
By Ed Smith
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Easy
This recipe is extracted from Good Eggs by Ed Smith (Quadrille, £22), Photography by Sam Harris
I’ve resisted providing an alternative to canned baked beans – a British store-cupboard staple that, in the context of Good Eggs, doesn’t need ‘elevating’ (just be sure to simmer them long enough to thicken the sauce, and consider a splash of Tabasco). Still, the pairing of beans and eggs has relatively limitless potential. Here’s a hearty suggestion, which has a particularly good flavour-to-effort ratio.
Try Ed Smith's recipe for Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde or Toasted Bagels with Achovies, Mayo, & Capers.
Ingredients for Poached Egg with Nduja, Sage, & Leek or Fudgy Eggs
- 20 g butter
- 3 rashers streaky bacon, cut across the length into 1 cm strips
- 8–12 sage leaves
- 2 medium leeks, halved and cut into 1 cm crescents
- 1 x 600–700 g jar premium butter beans
- 35 g ’nduja, broken into 6 or 7 pieces
- 2 tsp za’atar
- 1–2 eggs per person
- 1 tbsp runny honey
How to make Poached Egg with Nduja, Sage, & Leek or Fudgy Eggs
- Place a medium (26–28 cm) sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and bacon and, once the butter is hot, scatter in the sage leaves. Let these cook and darken for a few seconds, turning as necessary, removing each leaf before it browns and setting to one side. Add the leeks, mix well and cook for 6–8 minutes to soften without colouring, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the butter beans and the liquid from the jar. Half fill the jar with water, then add this to the pan. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add the ’nduja and let it melt a little, then add the za’atar and stir into the broth.
- Once the ’nduja is in, poach the eggs.
- Divide the beans and broth between two bowls. Top with eggs, sage leaves and a generous drizzle of honey. Eat with a spoon.
- ALSO CONSIDER: Using sobrasada dulce instead of ’nduja, if you’d prefer to avoid chilli. Substituting butter beans with chickpeas, pinto, borlotti, or other cooked white beans. Topping with pangrattato.
About the author
Ed Smith, an award-winning food writer and former lawyer, now crafts recipes, consults, and writes after training as a chef. He's active on social media and has authored cookbooks like 'Crave,' awarded Cookery Book of the Year in 2022, 'On the Side,' 'Good Eggs' and 'The Borough Market Cookbook.' His work frequently appears in outlets such as Waitrose Food, BBC Good Food, and The Sunday Times Magazine.
