First make the herb garnish. Put the chilli and red onion into a glass or ceramic bowl with the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water, the salt and the sugar.

Next put the spinach, onion and butter into a large frying pan. Place on a very gentle heat and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir and continue to fry for another 5–10 minutes, until the water from the spinach has evaporated. Add the cream, milk, a generous grating of nutmeg and the white pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring at intervals. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

Make four wells for the eggs. Crack in the eggs and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the egg whites have set – covering with a lid will help this along.

Just before serving, toss the dill and chives with the chilli and red onion. Sprinkle over the spinach and eggs and serve immediately.

Top tip / Traditional recipes call for plain flour to thicken the mix. I often find cooking for longer and evaporating as much water as possible means you don’t need it. If you find, however, that your spinach is very wet, you can whisk a couple of tablespoons of flour into the milk before adding it to the spinach.