Fried eggs with charred broccoli & tahini

There’s an appealing array of flavours here: sizzled greens, sharp lemon, rich tahini and sesame, all brought together by rich, golden-yolked eggs. A wonderful choice at any time of day.

Ingreadient

• 230g purple sprouting broccoli spears
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 No.1 Longstock Gold eggs
• Sourdough, focaccia or flatbreads, to serve (optional)
• ½ lemon juice
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 sesame seeds
• Generous pinch Cooks’ Ingredients Pul Biber
• Pinch sea salt flakes

Step by step

1. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Trim any woody ends from the broccoli, then arrange in one layer in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the broccoli and leave for 2 minutes. Put a griddle pan over a high heat so that it gets smoking-hot.
2. While waiting, make the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and tahini into a stiff paste using a balloon whisk. Add 3-4 tbsp cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until the sauce is the consistency of thick double cream; set aside.
3. Drain the broccoli, pat dry and brush with a little olive oil. Cook on the smoking-hot griddle pan for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until blistered, charred and tender. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the eggs in 1 tbsp olive oil until cooked to your liking. Toast the bread or warm the flatbreads, if liked.
4. In the base of the same large bowl that was used to soak the broccoli, use a fork or small whisk to combine the remaining lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil, the sesame oil and sesame seeds, then add the griddled broccoli; toss and coat liberally with the dressing.
5. Puddle the tahini sauce onto 2 plates. Arrange the broccoli over the top and add the fried eggs. Sprinkle everything with the pul biber and salt. Eat straight away, using bread to mop up the juices, if liked.