By the looks of it, it’ll be a rainy morning today. The weather has always been erratic. Manila weather is even worse. When it rains, especially early in the morning, you know you’re kind of screwed. Commuting and traffic become ten times worse. I’ve learned to brave (and welcome!) the blistering heat because at least I know getting from point A to B is easier, although still uncomfortable.

However, nothing can really be said about what happens when it rains here in Zamboanga. When you’ve faced the mother of all monsters, the tiny ugly imps are manageable. In a strange, reverse-meteoric way, I feel happier when I wake up to the sound of rain. *and on cue, it starts to rain*

Maybe it’s because I know breakfast is mandatory to warm me up. Maybe it’s also because the light in my photos is pretty nice. And when there’s a marriage of the two, I know it’s a good morning indeed.

My default breakfast meal would have to be egg rings. The inside of a ramekin is lined with bacon then an egg fills the center. It’s then zapped in the microwave or baked for 15 minutes. I’m partial to the gentle cooking that happens when it’s being baked. Today I had the bacon and the eggs, but I wanted more. I had some potatoes, a few spices and a pack of bratwurst just sitting in the freezer. The wheels started to churn and I went into overdrive. It was go time!

I don’t really know if a fancy name fits because this is by no means fancy. But it’s still pretty good. I’m going to be subtle about the title then:

Baked Eggs over Bratwurst and Potatoes (serves 2 – 3)

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 pieces bratwurst/hungarian sausage, sliced thinly, around 125 grams each
• 4 strips of bacon, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• half a bulb of garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small potato, around 150 grams, peeled and diced small
• 50 grams green peas
• 4 – 5 eggs
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• Spanish paprika, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Chili flakes, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and the onion. Saute until fragrant.
2. Add the potatoes and cook until it starts to brown at the sides.
3. Toss in the bacon and saute until it starts to render. Add the sausage slices and mix together.
4. Add the peas. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika.
5. Remove the pan from heat and crack the eggs over the mixture. Season the yolks with a little bit of salt, pepper and paprika.
6. Place the pan in the oven and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until the yolks are set but still slightly runny. When done, remove from the oven, garnish with chili flakes and serve warm with rice. Enjoy!