Instructions: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium sized saucepan then add the chopped onion and cook to soften (but not brown) for 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and basil.

Then cover the pan and cook over a fairly gentle heat for 30 minutes.

If the sauce still looks a little watery at this stage continue to cook it with the lid off until it has reduced a bit then stir in the tomato puree and a seasoning of salt and pepper and keep the sauce warm while you attend to the eggs.

Preheat the grill and have a serving dish warming.

Now heat 2 further tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and separate the eggs placing the whites in a mixing bowl and reserving the yolks in a cup (keeping them whole).

Whisk up the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry then combine the Parmesan and the flour with a little seasoning and fold this mixture into the egg whites (dont worry if they deflate at this point just keep working with a minimum of folding strokes).

Now drop tablespoons of this batter mixture into the hot oil in the frying pan to get six fritters in all.

When golden brown on the underside flip them over to cook on the other side.

Then arrange the fritters on the warmed serving dish spoon a little of the tomato sauce over each one make a slight indentation in the sauce with a spoon and slip an egg yolk of top of each fritter.

Grill briefly to set the egg yolks a little and serve straightaway with some crusty bread.

Note: It may be necessary to fry the fritters in two batches in which case youll have to top up the frying pan with a little more oil.

Serves 3

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