Donal Skehan: Fried eggs with Brussels sprouts and pesto

This is a simple dish that can easily be made with regular shop-bought pesto but comes alive with the home-made version. It makes quite a lot of pesto but I’m of the opinion that if you’re going to go to the trouble, you may as well make enough to use over pasta or spread on toast. If you have time, you could roast the Brussels sprouts rather than frying, which will only add to the taste and the texture.

For the pesto, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture becomes smooth. Check the seasoning, and add a little extra olive oil if you feel the pesto is too thick.

Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a drop of olive oil. When it’s hot, add the sprouts and pan-fry for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing them to catch ever so slightly. At the end of the cooking time, add a few tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Cook for a further few minutes, or until the sprouts are just tender.

Remove the sprouts and place in a mixing bowl. Pan-fry the eggs in a tablespoon of olive oil until the white is no longer translucent and the yolk is still loose. While the eggs are cooking, toss the sprouts with a few tablespoons of pesto and transfer to serving plates.

Top with the cooked eggs and sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and ground black pepper.