Experiment with other flavour additions – a little chopped cooked ham or Parma ham, diced cooked mushrooms, a few herbs or some sliced artichoke heart can all go into the base before you crack in the egg. For a really extravagant addition, add a drop or two of white truffle oil over the cream.

Ingredients

  • Butter, for greasing
  • 2 ripe vine tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 tblsp cream
  • 25g (1oz) mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 1 tsp snipped fresh chives
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Griddled sourdough bread sliced into chunky fingers, to serve

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5).
  2. Butter 4 blini pans or ramekins and scatter the tomatoes in the bottom.
  3. Crack an egg into each blini pan and season with salt, then add 1 tablespoon of cream to each one and scatter the cheddar on top.
  4. Arrange the blini pans in a shallow roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the side of each pan.
  5. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the eggs are set and the cheese is bubbling.
  6. Set each blini pan on a plate and scatter over the chives, then add the chunky bread fingers to serve.