This José Andrés Breakfast Favorite Highlights The Best Flavors Of Spain

We all have a favorite breakfast. To some, it might be a stack of buttermilk pancakes; to others, it's traditional eggs Benedict. Chefs are no different. And as someone whose culinary endeavors have taken him all over the world, Chef José Andrés has undoubtedly eaten a plethora of delicious morning meals. But when it comes to his favorite, the globally-known chef, restauranteur, and humanitarian thinks of his home, the sun-drenched country of Spain. For him, there is nothing more delicious than tomates con huevos fritos, or tomatoes topped with fried eggs.

On his Substack, called Longer Tables, Andrés shared that this dish is naturally best in summertime — when he's typically in Spain and when heirloom tomatoes are in season. Best of all, it comes together with very few ingredients, so the quality of each ingredient matters in creating a memorable breakfast. When describing the dish, he writes: "[Tomates con huevos fritos] is beautiful to see on a plate, with the bright rainbow of tomatoes and the bright gold of the egg yolk, and it is simple and delicious. It still amazes me that a plate of food can bring you to such a place of happiness. That's what this dish does for me."

To make his favorite tomatoes with fried eggs, Chef José Andrés starts by peeling the heirloom tomatoes. The best way to do this is to blanch them in boiling tap water. After this, he recommends slicing the tomatoes, placing them on your serving plates, drizzling generously with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkling them with good ocean-sourced sea salt. When it comes to the eggs, you've probably never fried yours the way he fries his for this dish. To do so, heat up an entire cup of olive oil to its smoking point before carefully dropping the eggs to fry, one at a time, until the edges are crispy and browned. The fried eggs are then placed on top of the sliced tomatoes, more olive oil is added for serving, and Andrés also recommends adding a side of crusty bread to complete the meal.

José Andrés' egg and tomato dish is reminiscent of two traditional Spanish dishes: huevos a la Española, or Spanish-style eggs, and pan con tomate con huevo (tomato bread with egg). With the former, a simple tomato sauce is made and fried eggs are served on top of it. The latter is a traditional Spanish tapa and popular breakfast dish in its own right — tomato bread — which features grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomato.

Andrés' tomato with fried eggs breakfast proves that, sometimes, the best thing you can do to good ingredients is very little or nothing at all. You're better off letting their inherent flavors shine through — brightened by a little salt, of course.