Hard Boiled Eggs With Anchovy Tomato Sauce

This Sicilian inspired dish makes a great change to the traditional ways we eat eggs. The anchovy fillets along with the tomato a provide great colour contrast against the eggs and I love the taste of this dish. Because of the salty nature of the anchovy fillets you don’t need to use much salt to this dish. I usually make this dish when I have cold cuts off a leg of lamb from the day before.

serves 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 anchovy fillets
1 small onion, sliced
1 large celery stalk , diced
2 green peppers, diced
125g tomato paste
750ml water (3 cups)
8 eggs, hard boiled and sliced in to quarters or halves if they are small ones
salt and fresh ground pepper to season

In a fry pan over a medium heat add the oil, anchovies, onion, celery and peppers cooking slowly for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent it sticking. In a bowl blend the tomato paste and water and add to the fry pan and season with a wee pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the fry pan and simmer until the celery is nice and tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom of a serving dish and arrange a layer of the hard boiled egg slices. Repeat the layering of sauce and egg slices, finishing with a layer of eggs on top. Season with some fresh ground pepper.

Serve hot or cold. To serve hot place in a pre-heated oven at 170C and heat through, about 20 minutes. I don't let it bubble too much as all we are doing is warming it up.