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Get Started - 100% free to try - join in 30 secondsThe Inspiration. This dish was inspired by a visit to Boot & Shoe Service, a favorite Oakland, California eatery. I went there on a day I was feeling a bit out of sorts and in dire need for comfort and nourishment. The meal that I had brought me back to life and I was so grateful and inspired that I wrote an entire Weekend Meditation post about it. A few days later, I was craving it again and happily realized that I had all the fixings to make it right there at home.
The Ingredients. You can certainly make this with canned chickpeas and even frozen spinach. Your egg and sausage can be supermarket bought and that would be fine, too. But I must confess, I feel part of the reason this is so good is that I cooked the chickpeas from scratch, got my pasture-raised chicken eggs at the farmers' market and a bunch of fresh kale there, too. And my sausage came from a reputable butcher that uses local, sustainable meat and makes them in-house. Still, with all those so-called fancy ingredients, I reckon this dish came in at about $3.00 per serving. And it was a good, fill-me-up kind of serving too.
The Bram. "What is that gorgeous, rustic dish you're using in the final step when you cook the egg?" you ask. It's a bram, a simple clay cooking vessel from Egypt that is glazed on the inside and rough on the outside. I use it because the clay really holds the heat and the moisture, and it's the perfect size for one person. I also like it for its rustic beauty. Is it necessary? No. You could start this whole dish in a small cast iron skillet, for instance, and just crack the egg on top and slide it into the oven. Or you could use a cazuela, like they did at Boot & Shoe Service. Just be sure that whatever you're using is oven-safe. See below for more discussion on this topic.
The Egg. As mentioned, I think the egg is key to the success of this dish and I encourage you to find the best eggs you can. Right now, eggs from pastured chickens are your best bet and are starting to show up more and more at farmers' markets around the country. Also, you can skip the whole step of cracking an egg over the chickpeas and cooking it in the oven if you want. Just plop a poached or fried egg on top instead. I recommend, though, that no matter what you do, the yolk should be runny.
The Toaster Oven. Is using the toaster oven necessary? No, but it is more efficient. Of course, if you have a wood-burning oven like they do at Boot & Shoe, you can just slide it in there. (Hahaha!) I use my toaster oven because I don't want to heat up my whole oven only to pop something in for 5 to 7 minutes. That said, if you're organized enough, this could be the time that you roast up some sweet potatoes or potatoes. You could also tuck it in anytime you have the oven on for other things, such as bread. Just keep an eye on it so you don't overcook the yolk.
Vegetarian? You can definitely make this without the sausage, thus making it vegetarian. I would recommend adding a bit more salt and olive oil and adding some harissa or other hot sauce to add spice. If you want spice, that is. You can also use one of those vegetarian sausages, like Soyrizo, if you're so inclined. The only way to make this vegan is to also eliminate the egg which would so alter the character of the dish that I cannot recommend a vegan version. I would love to hear your suggestions, though.
1/2 large yellow onion, medium chopped
1 T olive oil
Salt
1/2 spicy fresh sausage, about 3 to 4 ounces, sliced
1/2 bunch dino kale, about 2 oz after stalk is stripped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can, drained)
Hot sauce, such as harissa, optional
1 pastured egg
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