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Huevos a la habanera

Huevos a la habanera: Havana-style eggs baked on pepper and tomato sofrito with peas and cheese

Old Havana households bake eggs this way for a late Sunday breakfast or a light supper, cracking them into a bed of slow-cooked onion, green pepper and tomato and scattering peas and grated cheese over the top. The whites set softly in the steam of the sofrito while the yolks stay rich and loose, ready for mopping up with toasted Cuban bread. A frequent mistake is baking until the yolks turn chalky; take the dish out while the yolks still wobble. Many hard cheeses are made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Gouda-style or Cheddar-style cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: make little wells in the sofrito with the back of a spoon so each egg sits in its own nest and doesn't spread.
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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Fresh ingredients (6)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).

  2. Step 2: Warm 3 tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Cook 1 onion and 1 green pepper for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add 2 garlic cloves for 1 minute.

    9 min
  3. Step 3: Stir in 14 oz chopped tomatoes, ½ tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp salt and simmer for 8 minutes until thick and jammy. Stir in 3 ½ oz frozen peas.

    8 min
  4. Step 4: Make 8 hollows in the sauce and crack 8 eggs into them. Scatter 1 ¾ oz Gouda-style cheese over the whites.

    2 min
  5. Step 5: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the whites are set and opaque and the yolks still tremble when you shake the pan.

    10 min
  6. Step 6: Scatter 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley over and serve straight from the pan with toast.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
280 kcal
Protein
15 g
Carbs
12 g
Fat
19 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does huevos a la habanera take?
About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of onion?
2 shallots per onion.
What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.

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