Braised eggs with leek and za'atar from Ottolenghi Simple (page 6) by Yotam Ottolenghi

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

sasha_49lk98 on February 09, 2026

Come back to this recipe again and again. Love it so much. This time around I ran out of preserved lemon so I substituted dried lime (which I pulverized in a slice grinder) and it hit the spot.
Tomato on November 30, 2025

This is a brilliant recipe. Didn't have enough feta, so added a little sour cream. Used powdered stock and it was fine.
gootenbeez on August 17, 2025

Delicious even with A LOT of substitutions. I used New York Shuk's preserved lemon paste, a can of spinach because I didn't have fresh and onions because I don't usually have leeks in the fridge. Will be adding this to me rotation of egg dishes!
Hansyhobs on April 08, 2024

I really like this
EmilyR on October 24, 2023

I have the British edition of this book and did everything by weight with the exception of reducing the leeks a bit. I have a lemon egg recipe that I like and it still reigns supreme for me. This is a pretty and quick dish but not my favorite baked eggs.
Babycarrot on May 28, 2023

Super delicious new breakfast recipe that I’ll be adding to my rotation. The preserved lemon was just right (I could have maybe even used a whole small one). I didn’t have enough leek so I also used some scallion which was fine and also subbed chicken stock for veggie. I would say make sure you take enough time to simmer off the liquid or else run the risk of it being a bit soupy, which is fine as long as you have some bread to soak up the extra liquid. It’s important to really make indentations so the egg whites cook. I agree with another commenter that my whites took longer to cook and some of the yolk ended up being well done which honestly was fine w the soupier nature of the broth. Will make again!
rmardel on February 14, 2023

Truly delicious. Made a reduced recipe as part of a fridge clean-out. Did not have quite enough leek, proportionally, so added scallions cut in thin strips. I will do this again as I believe the complexity boost provided by two different alliums, the scallions being slightly more peppery, added to the dish. I also used a light chicken broth instead of vegetable stock. The layering of flavors and the braising liquid enhance the flavor of the eggs. This is a great pantry breakfast or light supper for me so will certainly be making again.
pomegranate on May 19, 2022

This is delicious. I cooked lemon slices in salted lemon juice on the skillet for a few minutes as a substitute for preserved lemon.
Ganga108 on January 01, 2022

Lovely and unusual. I don't cook with eggs so added burrata to the leeks instead.
FJT on December 16, 2021

I thought this was lovely and would have given it 4 stars; my husband really didn't like it and would score it as just 1 or 2 stars. I settled on 3!
twoyolks on January 12, 2021

I thought this was good except that the cumin flavor was strong and didn't work well with the other flavors.
Popisdead on June 06, 2020

Would think about adding some chorizo or crumbled sausage, and chilli. But otherwise a good brunch dish.
Ro_ on May 15, 2020

For two people I halved the leeks and spinach, used 4 eggs and 2/3rds of a preserved lemon: this seemed about right. I liked the balance of flavours from the lemon, feta, leeks and za'atar. I found it a bit tricky to get the egg whites cooked without overdoing the yolks. Overall I liked this recipe, but it felt more like a lunch than a breakfast. Good shout from another commenter to pair it with the tomato and yoghurt recipe, I can see that working well. It needs bread too (I did toast).
wester on March 26, 2019

Per the other reviewers I halved the amount of lemon and paired it with charred tomatoes with yoghurt. I also left out the feta and forgot the za'atar. The end result was very good; the pairing with the tomatoes, in particular, was wonderful and made for a light yet filling and exquisitely flavoured vegetarian dinner. Next time I will slightly increase the amount of lemon again and think of the za'atar.
SheilaS on October 08, 2018

This recipe calls for using both the flesh and skin of a preserved lemon. Between that and the feta cheese, it was too salty for me and the tartness from the lemon completely overpowered the sweetness of the leeks. Next time, I will only use the lemon rind as I usually do. I made extra of the leek/onion mixture so when I reheated it, I just poached the eggs separately and found it much easier to control than cooking them in the vegetables. I served this with the the hot charred cherry tomatoes with cold yogurt on p 70 and it was a great pairing.
Astrid5555 on September 16, 2018

A little bit too lemony for me, I think my preserved lemon was too big. Apart from that quick to make and a delicious brunch dish.