Shakshuka recipe

There are versions of this wonderful brunch dish in the brilliant Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Real Food Fast by Nigel Slater. It's a great "whatever-i-have-in-the-fridge" dish.

The version here is based on the Ottolenghi recipe, with a few tweeks I've made to make it simpler, quicker, and for less people.

Shakshuka
Serves 2 (or 1 very hungry person)


Basic ingredients:

180ml light olive oil or vegetable oil

1 large onions, sliced

2  peppers, cut into 2cm strips

1 tin of tomatoes

4 free-range eggs

salt and pepper

A frying pan with a lid

Ottolenghi also suggests:

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp muscovado sugar

2 bay leaves

3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra to garnish

½ tsp saffron threads

Cayenne pepper

I also suggest:

Pesto

Hummus

Bacon (or other strongly flavoured meats)

Aubergine 

Mushrooms

Any other veg, spices or herbs you have lying around

At the heart of this dish is a mix of onions, peppers and tomatoes with a few eggs cracked onto it. Everything else just adds more flavour and depends on how you're feeling.

Method:

1. In a very large pan add the oil and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and any other vegetables you like that appreciate a bit of colour, and continue cooking on a high heat for 5-10 minutes to get a nice colour. 

 You can also add 

muscovado sugar at this point. If you want to add dry spices like cumin seeds, dry-fry them for 2 minutes before adding the oil and vegetables.

2. Add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper (also the saffron, cayenne, etc).  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes. During the cooking you can add some water so that the mix has a pasta sauce consistency. At this point you can also throw in pesto, some old hummus or any other saucy things that might add to the mix. Even a bit of hot sauce or lime pickle can be tasty. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (You can prepare this mix well in advance.) 

3. Make four gaps in the pepper mix and carefully break an egg into each gap. Sprinkle with salt and cover the pan with a lid. At this point me and Yotam have different opinions. I suggest cooking on a medium heat for 5 minutes, but he says, cook on a very (!) gentle heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. I've tried both ways, mine is quicker. Sprinkle with coriander (if you have any) and serve.

4. Eat