Our guest chef, Leah, shared her go-to recipe with minimal fuss but maximum taste. Eggs... but make them Napoli 🍳🍅🇮🇹
Recently, Leah sat down with The Fourth Place and spoke about her experience as a chef, business owner and her personal ethics and journey with food. She provided insight into the food industry, in particular food waste. A particular area that she is motivated to impact both on a personal and business scale. Notably, she also spoke about having the space to enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen again having since stepped away from her role as a chef and towards running her bar.
As a chef and ethical foodie, she has experience in flavours, cooking techniques and knows her way around the kitchen. The Fourth Place aims to lean on these areas of experience, knowledge and expertise to bring ideas and creativity to the realm of dysphagia so that the community can have the same access as the mainstream. Expertise of food married with the expertise of dysphagia and food modification.
Pertinently, Leah has generously shared her no-fuss go-to recipe that she often cooks up for herself. Knowing that every man and his dog in the modern world is fighting time restraints in this fast paced lifestyle regardless of their situation, many look towards quick and easy, yet tasteful and nutritious recipes. This is particularly important for the dysphagia community where often more time and thought goes into meal preparation as a requirement for swallowing safety while trying to break down the barriers of meal variety, interest in food and social inclusion.
As with any baked dish, one thing to be cautious with is the burnt bits around the edge of the dish. When placed in the oven, consider covering either with tin foil or with an oven proof cover. Leah has used clay pots but the same can be achieved with any oven proof baking dish. Being mindful of course that cooking time frames may vary. The heat and steam kept within the lid will maintain the moisture and avoid the dry crusty bits on the top of the dish that may be difficult to manipulate in the mouth or get stuck in the throat.
Leah has lusciously used a soft cheese to melt over the top of the Eggs Napoli that would add a creamy texture and depth to the taste of the dish. However, knowing that melted cheese can be chewy, stringy or difficult to break down, be mindful of including this and/or choosing the right cheese to do so. Leah used halloumi however any soft cheese that melts easily would suffice such as feta. These being less stringy and more inclined the break apart with gentle chewing. Alternatively, if melted cheese is not a safe option for you or your loved one, a teaspoon of stock will add a depth to the flavour of the dish without adding another consistency.
It's been said before but garnishing with herbs can be troublesome for people with dysphagia so in light of 'knowing thy self', if one can safely tolerate a herb garnish, go for your life. If it's giving a sticky situation, always consider a drizzle of herb sauce. Gently blend some herbs with some water and/or oil and swirl that beauty through the finished product and you'll have yourself the same taste and effect but without the risk 😉
Leah's Eggs Napoli
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
6 large ripe tomatoes, cored
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
1 large tin (or 2 small tins) of whole, peeled tomatoes
4 eggs
50g soft cheese (feta, halloumi), diced
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 240°C.
Place the ripe tomatoes on a baking tray with the garlic cloves placed inside them where the core was removed.
Cover the tomatoes with olive oil, salt & pepper.
Bake in the oven at 240° C for 20 - 30 minutes.
Next, in a large saucepan, place the chopped onions and cover with olive oil, salt & pepper. Cook until translucent.
Add 2 small or 1 large tin of whole peeled tomatoes. Continue to cook with the lid on.
Once the tomatoes in the oven are cooked, add them to the sauce pan including any oil and juice. Continue to cook for two hours on a low heat.
After two hours, blend until smooth. Then add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Place the hot Napoli sauce into clay pots or small oven-safe dishes.
Crack 2 eggs into the centre of each clay pot and place in the oven at 240°C.
Check the eggs after 10 minutes. If required, spoon the Napoli from the edge of each pot on top of the eggs to avoid them drying out.
Add the cheese to the sauce surrounding the eggs and place back in the oven. Check the pots again after 5 minutes.
If the egg whites are baked through, remove them from the oven. If not, continue to cook for 5 - 10 minutes.
Once the eggs are cooked, serve warm with herbs of your choosing.
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