For a girl who loves eggs in all forms and breakfast at all times of day, it’s no wonder that I’ve written extensively about all of the egg variations that I experiment with in my own kitchen. From frittatas to shakshuka, one could go as far to call be an egg loyalist. Well, having just gotten back from Asia one short month ago, I’ve slowly been acquiring a variety of Asian condiments, and so what naturally followed was an experimentation into how I could incorporate said ingredients into… you guessed it… egg-centric breakfast foods. Shakshuka being one of my all-time favorites (you can check out my recipe here), I stumbled across a variation centered around gochujang, a Korean fermented chili and garlic paste that is an absolute flavor bomb (remember my spring bucket list? cooking with gochujang was on there!). I tweaked this recipe slightly, and here it is in its entirety, for your eating pleasure. And FYI, it’s just as good cold the next day (trust me on that one)

 

Gochujang Eggs in Purgatory

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (I subbed avocado oil)

2 cups diced onion (1 to 2 onions)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

¼ cup minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving (I subbed cilantro)

1 (28-ounce) can diced

or crushed tomatoes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I subbed nutritional yeast)

2 to 3 tablespoons gochujang

1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar, light or dark (I subbed maple syrup)

1 to 2 cups torn spinach (or kale)

4 large eggs

 

Process

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the parsley and cook for about 2 more minutes, just until parsley begins to soften and turn bright green.

Add the tomatoes, Parmesan, gochujang, and brown sugar, and give everything a good stir. Season with salt and pepper, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Add the greens (if using) and cook until just barely wilted. Spinach and other more tender leafy greens will take only 30 seconds to 1 minute; kale and other tough leafy greens will take longer, 3 to 4 minutes.

Make small indentations in the sauce for the eggs, one for each egg, and crack them into the pan. Cover the pan and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 5 to 7 minutes (or longer, if you like your eggs more firm). Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove from the heat and enjoy warm, sprinkled with additional Parmesan and parsley, and served with toast for dipping.

 

Original recipe can be found here.