Flippin egg!!- o pequeno almoço em chavena

Eça de Queiroz ( one of Portugal´s most celebrated writers) must have been fond of eggs cooked with that smoked sausage so loved by the Portuguese, Chouriço. In several of his bestsellers he mentions this popular dish as a delight of his heroes. `Gonçalo started off by having a plateful of eggs with chouriço....´in The remarkable House of Ramires. In The Capital this combination crops up again `Rabeca ordered Marquitas... to prepare a lovely fry-up of eggs and chouriço....´And in The City and the mountains: `Jacinto had dined on eggs and chouriço. really sublime.´Call it what you will, cappucino of baked eggs, total breakfast in a cup, the reality is a twist of oeufs en cocotte. I occasionally get a request from guests who want some eggs with their breakfast. I usually give them a soft boiled egg and toast, but I have decided to expand this option and offer them a cooked breakfast in a cup. My basic is a knob of butter slivers of bacon, cream, parmesan or cheddar cheese and two free range eggs baked in a hot oven for 15 minutes. The options are endless, with the possible addition of sausage, chouriço, mushrooms, spinach, eggs florentine.

Ovos com Chouriço

2 eggs beaten, per person

5cm (2in) chouriço, per person

salt

oil(or butter) for frying

The dish is a rich tasting but very simple omelette.

Make sure you buy chouriço that is the `eating raw´ kind.

Put the fat in the frying pan and add the chouriço, finely sliced and skinned. fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the beaten eggs and combine the lot. Make the omelette flat, turning it carefully with a spatula, or fold it, according to your preference

O meu pequeno amoço em chavena

serves 4

25g unsalted butter

75g cheddar or parmesan (optional)

8 eggs

80g button mushrooms ( or ceps, if you want extravagance)

roughly chopped and fried in butter or oil

150g bacon, slightly fried and broken into slivers

1 handful of parsley(optional)

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons double cream

Pre-heat the oven to 200C /400F/gas mark6

Butter the inside of four cappucino cups, mugs or large ramekins and sprinkle with the cheese, if using.

layer the other ingredients as follows: mushroom, bacon, parsley, if using, cream and finally crack two eggs per portion on top. place the cups in a bain marie, cover loosely with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes- they´re done when the egg whites are set.For a slight golden glaze, finish under a hot grill for a moment