Lentils with Pickled Fennel and an Egg - Sunny Side Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you come home from your morning run and you find leftover fennel pickles and lentils in your fridge and your hens have laid you an egg. It's fate. It's lunch.


*NOTE: You will end up with a jar of pickles which is more than you need for this recipe. Keep the leftover pickles in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. They are excellent on a sandwich, sprinkled in a salad, in a burger, along side a piece of grilled salmon or on a cheeseboard.




Lentils with Pickled Fennel and an Egg - Sunny Side Up
Serves 1

For the Pickle:
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red chilli, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil

For the Lentils:
1 cup cooked brown lentils, warm
2 tablespoons Fennel and Onion Pickle
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Basil leaves, shredded

For the Egg:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
Basil leaves, shredded for garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the Pickle:
Put the vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar, chilli, mustard seeds, bay leaf and oil into a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put the sliced, fennel and onion into a preserving jar. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables. Leave for 10 minutes before using. Leftover pickles can be stored in the refrigerator (*see note above).

Make the Lentils:
Finely chop the pickles and add them to the warm lentils, along with a tablespoon of the pickling juice. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and stir.

Cook the Egg:
Put the oil into a frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, crack the egg in. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and leave the egg to cook until the white is just set, about 2 - 3 minutes.

Plate It Up:
Spoon the lentils onto a plate. Top with the egg, sprinkle with basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chunks of soft Turkish bread.