“Egg”cellent recipe: Harissa-spiked BL(E)T bruschetta

SAN ANTONIO – WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 French baguette, day old is best

• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

• 5-6 Roma tomatoes, quartered, middle pulp and seeds removed, finely diced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ white onion, minced

• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2-3 teaspoons Harissa paste, or to taste (available at specialty markets or online)

• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (see note on hard boiling in an instant pot)

• Small heart of romaine lettuce, shredded

• 4-6 hard boiled eggs, sliced width-wise

• 5 slices thick-cut bacon, crumbled (or for a vegetarian option, use shaved parmesan cheese)

WHAT YOU DO:

Place five slices of thick-cut bacon on a foil-lined pan. Place pan in a cold oven, set temperature to 400°F and set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove pan from oven. Crumble bacon when cool enough to handle.

While bacon is cooking, slice baguette on the diagonal into 24 quarter-inch slices. Lay the baguette slices out on a straight-sided baking sheet. Brush each slice of baguette with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle each slice with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Set tray aside while preparing topping.

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, onions, and parsley in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and harissa paste together, then drizzle over tomato mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to marry.

To assemble bruschetta, add a little of the shredded lettuce, spoon some of the tomato mixture on top, add a slice of hard-boiled egg and top with crumbled bacon (alternately, add a shaving of parmesan cheese). Serve immediately.

HOW TO HARD BOIL EGGS IN THE INSTANT POT:

Pour 1 cup of water into the inner stainless pot and set the trivet in. Add up to 12 eggs and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release pressure manually immediately after 5 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove eggs and place in an ice bath until fully cooked.