My take on the Italian style dish ‘Eggs in Purgatory’ has the hell-red tomato sauce on the bottom of the plate and heavenly white eggs over-easy on top but instead of polenta as a pillow for the eggs, I use Johnny cakes. These salty sweet cakes add a more solid texture to the dish and can be used as scarpetta, bread used for scooping up remaining sauce.
When naming the dish I represented the fusion of Italian with Southern style cooking. Changing Johnny cakes to Giovanni cakes, the Italian name for John. The last player in this collaboration of food cultures is, as you would think, Californian. The freshness of a basil garnish as well as the fresh corn in the cakes up lifts the flavors and textures that cooked ingredients cannot give. 
California Love- Giovanni in Purgatory
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A novel take on ‘Eggs in Purgatory’, this dish features Giovanni cakes made with cornmeal and olives, topped with tomato sauce and over-easy eggs, garnished with fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8.3 oz) cornmeal
- 1 cup (8.3 oz) hot water
- 1/4 tsp (1.23 grams) salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 grams) fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) corn kernels, defrosted or fresh
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) Moroccan black olives, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Place a heatproof dish in the oven to keep the cakes warm after frying.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, pepper, and hot water. Stir until smooth, then fold in the corn kernels and chopped olives.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon the cornmeal mixture into the skillet to form small cakes, about 3 inches in diameter.
- Cook the cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked cakes to the warm dish in the oven.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to low and add the tomato sauce. Simmer gently until heated through.
- In a separate nonstick skillet, fry the eggs over-easy, cooking until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny.
- To serve, place the Giovanni cakes on a plate, spoon the tomato sauce over them, and top with the fried eggs. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
For a spicier version, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce. Use fresh corn for the best flavor in the cakes. The Giovanni cakes can be made ahead and reheated in the oven. Serve immediately for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian, Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 210
