Be mum's hero this Mother's Day with this simple but creative and delicious brunch recipe from Natalie Homan. Just right with a glass of fizz...

Recipe and Styling Natalie Homan | Photograph Brendan Homan

Fried eggs with watercress puree, peas, pea shoots, green chilli and breadcrumbs
serves 2

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 bunches watercress, leaves picked
300g peas, podded
4 large eggs
6 tbsp olive oil
100g pea shoots
½ large green chilli, finely chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and toast the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, set aside. Meanwhile, bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to the boil and prepare a separate ice bath by pouring 2L of water into a large bowl and adding a tray of ice cubes.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, add the watercress and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove the watercress and place into the iced water, and stir to cool completely. Drain the watercress and puree in a blender until smooth, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add the podded peas to the blanching water and cook for 1 minute, remove and place in a small bowl, dress with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium/high heat. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and slip in the 4 eggs (it helps to crack each one into a cup and gently transfer them to the pan). Use a spoon to carefully drizzle the whites with the hot oil. Fry until whites are cooked with crisp edges and the yolks are cooked to your liking. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate.

To serve, place a generous amount of watercress puree in the centre of each plate and top with two fried eggs and the dressed peas. Sprinkle with chopped chilli, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. Arrange the pea shoots over the dish.

 

This recipe first appeared in the October 2019 issue of SALIFE magazine.