Butternut squash and kale fritters with chorizo and poached eggs

So happy new year! I’m a bit late, I know. January is a bit of an interesting month eating wise. So many friends and family are tucking into salads and staying off the booze. I rarely fancy a salad in January – the cold weather combined with a house stripped of its tinsel makes me feel like I need something comforting, not food purgatory. And there are plenty of tastier ways to up my vegetable consumption and gently get myself into a healthier frame of mind.

My shopping bags are full to bursting with greens this week. Kale seems to be everywhere all of a sudden, in every A-lister’s smoothie, the superfood of the moment. So hopefully you’ve got a bag in the fridge and I promise this will be much nicer than juicing it!

You could make this with leftover roasted vegetables, but if not, peel and cube a medium sized potato and about one third of a butternut squash. The potato lends a little starchiness and helps the cakes stick together better. Steam or boil until just tender, around 10-15 mins depending on the size of the pieces. The squash will probably take a little less time than the potato. Add a good couple of handfuls of chopped kale for the last 5 minutes. Drain and place the squash and potato in a bowl and roughly mash with a good knob of butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir in the kale.

Spread a couple of tablespoons of plain flour on a large plate. Flour your hands and then form the squash mixture into about 6 little cakes. Drop onto the plate and lightly coat with the flour. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and slide them in. Cook for 3-5mins on each side, till golden and crisp.

As you near the end of the cooking time, add some cubed chorizo to the pan and allow to brown. Crack as many eggs as you’d like into a separate pan of salted barely simmering water. Poach for a couple of minutes before serving on top of the squash fritters and chorizo.

This would be equally nice as a light supper or weekend brunch.

Shopping list: Butternut squash, 1 medium potato, kale, butter, plain flour, chorizo, eggs, oil