Sunday breakfast in the English Channel

On my watch we navigated through the Royal Sovereign Shoals. Just after Beachy Head the coast was lit up all the way along and with the busy shipping lanes to the south, it certainly wasn't as isolated as the last eight days.

The best moon yet, almost full, shining silver, and then at 3:45am a really spectacular setting of the moon. It turned blue with green hints, then yellow, amber, deep Seville orange until it melted into the horizon behind us. Turning my head to the east, the faint glow of the sun could already be seen beginning to rise.

Managed a few hours sleep before back on deck ready to help pull into the port of Ramsgate. As it was Sunday, James decided to cook up what he calls his 'special eggs' for breakfast. What a recipe! So here it is:

James' 'Special Eggs'
Serves about 5 people, but depends on who is up on deck first

Ingredients:
1x Large brown onion thinly sliced
2-3x crushed garlic (chopped fresh aillet if possible)
3x Fresh green chillies de-seeded and chopped
1tbsp smoked paprika
1tsp cumin
1tsp dried provence herbs herbs (marjoram, basil,thyme, parsley)
Thumb size piece of chorizo finely chopped
5x organic eggs
Fresh coriander (dried if at sea)
400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
350ml tomato passata (tomato pasta sauce)
1tsp sugar
Mature cheddar cheese handful grated
Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Method:

Add glug of olive oil to pan, then add onion and garlic, sweat on low heat 5-10 mins
Add smoked paprika and cumin stir in well and sweat 5 mins
Add chopped chillies
Sweat 5 mins
Add can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, chorizo and stir
Add sugar and provence herbs, keep on heat, mix well and continue to heat until bubbling then lower heat and simmer and reduce sauce for 5-10mins
Make little craters in sauce and crack an egg into each one
Cover and simmer 5mins until eggs are cooked
sprinkle over cheese and coriander, cover pan and heat for 2mins, season, add Tabasco to taste and serve with fresh crusty bread














Just seen the next watch timetable and at last I got the 8 to midnight watch! Cost me all my Kitkats though, and a secret stashed cadbury's boost too!