GILL MELLER’S Bloody Mary sardines on toast with a rosemary fried egg

Tinned sardines are one of the simplest, most satisfying things to eat, and are very good for you. I love them piled onto hot, well buttered toast. I’ve taken a little inspiration from the classic Bloody Mary here, bringing in tomato, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and lemon and, if you like, a spritz of vodka. The flavours are incredible. Finished with a fried Stonegate Estate egg cooked in olive oil, butter and rosemary, it makes for a wonderful breakfast or brunch dish.

Preparation time 5 minutes | Cook time 5 minutes | Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 tin of sardines

2 slices of good country bread or sourdough

2 tsp tomato ketchup

2 to 3 shakes Tabasco

2 to 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce

1 good pinch of celery salt

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A spritz of vodka, optional but good

Juice of half a lemon

2  Stonegate Estate Organic eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

A small knob of butter

1 small sprig of rosemary

METHOD

  1. Toast the bread until nice and crunchy, then butter generously.
  2. Open the sardines and tip them into a bowl. Add the ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, vodka if using, a little salt and pepper and the lemon juice. Mix gently so you keep some texture.
  3. Pile the sardines onto the toast.
  4. Set a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the rosemary. Crack in the Stonegate Estate eggs and fry, basting them with the hot butter until the whites are set and the edges are crisp, but the yolks are still a little soft.
  5. Lift the Stonegate Estate eggs onto each slice of sardine topped toast and spoon over a little of the rosemary butter from the pan. Serve straight away.
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