Like a lot of people brunch is a big deal in our house. Weekday breakfasts are rushed and are mostly a solo affair. So Saturday morning is a special occasion, a chance to cook together, leisurely, and a sort of ‘it’s the weekend’ celebration.

We mix it up at home, but one thing is for sure it will almost always be a savoury brunch as opposed to sweet (I don’t have the sweetest tooth and I was told that starting the day with protein was the best way). Below is a classic example of a Saturday morning Hayden-house staple. If you know me you know I love anything ham-y and cheesy, so this was a winner. Pimped up with the chilli and spinach, and opting for a crumbly tangy, yet creamy Lancashire cheese, it was a strong (and awesome) start to the day.

 

HERBY OMELETTE WITH CRISPY HAM HOCK AND SPINACH

Serves 2

• 5 large eggs, free range or organic
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of soft herbs, washed (I used coriander and parsley)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• ham hock, shredded (you can use leftovers, or Waitrose sell slow cooked shredded ham hock)
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 100g baby leaf spinach, washed
• 40g lancashire cheese (or any soft crumbly cheese)

Chop your herbs as fine as you can and place in a bowl with the eggs and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk everything together well and leave to one side.

Drizzle a little olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and place on a medium high heat. Add the  shredded ham hock, chilli and most of the spring onions and fry for around 5 minutes until everything starts to turn golden at the edges.  When the ham is starting to look crisp, drizzle in the honey and toss it all together. Give it another minute or two until it turns sticky and caramelised, and then add the spinach. Give everything a stir and cook the spinach down, this will only take a minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the filling into a bowl. Wipe the pan out and then return to the hob. Lower the heat to medium-low and then pour in the beaten eggs. Using a spatula gently swirl the mixture around so that you ripple eggs and cook them almost all the way through. When it is almost ready spoon the ham and spinach filling down the middle of the omelette and crumble over the Lancashire cheese. Turn the heat up a little so that the underside of the omelette browns, and then using a spatula or fish slice flip it over to envelope the filling. Cut the omelette into two and dish up. Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions and extra chilli sauce, if you like.