Eggs in Purgatory

I know this dish by a different name--huevos al plato, a traditional Hispanic dish in which a hash is made from tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, ham, and peas. The eggs are then cooked over the hash until the yolk is soft and runny. Serve with fresh, warm bread. The ingredients in this dish are made up the Cuban sofrito plus eggs, ham, and peas. In a Cuban household these ingredients are always on hand so my mother often made this this dish in a rush. Once you experience soaking up the eggy, tomato goodness with warm bread you'll understand why this dish never gets old.

So I've waxed on and on about a dish I'm not posting, but I've got a more exotic alternative for anyone addicted to artichoke hearts or capers. Eggs in purgatory follows a similar concept to huevos al plato as the eggs are cooked in a tomatoe based hash. I've adapted the bon-appétit recipe so the dish is cooked in one frying pan on the stove instead of being transferred to the stove.


Eggs in purgatory (adapted from bon appétit)

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 chopped red onioin
3 minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
or 1 can of artichoke hearts, cut in half
minced 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice 8
(bon appetit recommends fire roasted, but I have never seen these at TJ's)
3 small red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons drained capers
8 large eggs 1/3 cup
grated Parmesan cheese
warm French bread

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 8 minutes. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil in a sauce pan and add the salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, and onions and sauté until browned. Add the tomatoes with liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the drained potatoes, artichoke hearts, and capers and cook for 10 minutes. At this point the hash can be set aside until you are ready to eat. You must be ready to eat once the eggs are put on to cook; everyone except the cook should be at the set table, with the warm bread and drinks poured.

Turn the heat on high so that the hash is bubbling. Now carefully crack 8 eggs onto the hash with two inches between each egg. It helps to make indentation with your spoon for the yolks to sit in. The white will spread over the mixture. Cover the sauce pan and cook the eggs for 6-8 minutes. I like my eggs quite runny, so I cook them until the whites still look shiny and you can the area around the yolk is still clear. The eggs will continue cooking when you remove them from the stove. Serve immediately. Use a spatula and a spoon maneuver the eggs to a plate.