Beef Tomato Bake

Ingredients

• 500g lean ground beef, at least 85% lean
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large brown onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1cm pieces
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
• 2 x 400ml tins crushed tomatoes, check label: tomatoes only, no additives
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, check label: tomatoes only
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 8 large eggs, free-range if available
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve
• 4 thick slices sourdough bread, to serve, optional

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Place a large, deep oven-safe skillet or a 33x23cm baking dish on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Melt the butter.
2. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to colour at the edges, about 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Push everything to the edge of the pan and add the ground beef to the centre. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until no pink remains, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with half the salt and all the pepper.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, ground coriander, and cayenne directly onto the beef and vegetables. Stir continuously for 60 seconds to bloom the spices in the residual fat. Add the tomato paste and stir for another 30 seconds.
5. Pour in both tins of crushed tomatoes. Stir thoroughly to combine. Season with the remaining salt. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the flavours have melded. Taste and adjust salt.
6. If you used a stovetop skillet, ensure it is oven-safe. If using a separate baking dish, transfer the beef and tomato mixture into it now and spread evenly. Use the back of a large spoon to make 8 wells in the surface of the sauce, spacing them evenly across the dish.
7. Crack one egg into a small bowl first to check for shell, then slide it carefully into one of the wells. Repeat for all 8 eggs. Season the eggs lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. Transfer the dish to the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 10 to 14 minutes. Check at 10 minutes: the whites should be fully set and opaque, and the yolks should still have a slight wobble for a soft result, or bake the full 14 minutes for firmer yolks. Remove from the oven.
9. Scatter chopped parsley over the top. Allow to rest for 2 minutes before portioning. Each serving is 2 eggs with a generous scoop of the beef and tomato base. Serve with sourdough bread on the side if using.

Batch cooking tip

• Make the beef and tomato base in full, but hold back from baking the eggs into it until you are ready to serve each portion. The base keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat a single serving, spoon roughly one quarter of the base into a small skillet, warm over medium heat, make 2 wells, crack in 2 eggs, cover with a lid, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set. This gives you perfectly cooked eggs each time rather than reheated rubbery ones.