March 19, 2018

Shakshuka

Tomatoes are the backbone of shakshuka – they’re almost the only thing all recipes have in common apart from eggs, although you can use them in different forms. If like us, you live in climes where perfectly ripe and non-watery tomatoes are but a distant dream, then we recommend following this recipe to a T and using the tinned variety. For those of you lucky enough to be reading this in sunnier circumstances, substitute the same weight of roughly chopped fresh tomatoes. Also feel free to mix up, or shake up, the peppers for aubergine, courgettes, artichokes or even boiled potatoes if you prefer.Often we wonder what we all ate before good old Yotam Ottolenghi came along. It’s hard to imagine a world without a place for tahini on every supermarket’s shelves, where za’atar was merely a Scrabble high-scorer, and herbs like parsley and mint were added as decorative sprigs rather than in generous handfuls. How awfully dull mornings must have been before the exotic-sounding shakshuka entered our national breakfast vocabulary.The appeal of this simple one-pot meal is all in the name, which means to mix or shake up. The things being mixed or shaken up are the sautéed vegetables, spices and eggs – they vary wildly according to the region, season and the person cooking it. What doesn’t change, however, is the punch this dish packs. Thanks Yotam, we owe you one.

Ingredients (serves 2):

4 tbsp olive oil

I large onion

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

6 garlic cloves

2 tsp paprika

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tins of tomatoes

2 tbsp Dr Will’s Tomato Ketchup

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 eggs

Handful of Fresh Coriander

Method:

Heat the oil in a large lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Finely dice the onion, add to the pan and cook until golden.

Dice your peppers and add to the sautéed onion. Fry until both are soft, then stir in the finely diced garlic cloves and the spices, and cook for a further couple of minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes followed by the Dr Will’s. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and season, adding more cayenne if you prefer it spicier.

Make 4 indentations, or ‘wells’, in the sauce and break in the eggs*. Season them lightly, turn down the heat as low as possible, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny (there’s a time and a place for hard-boiled eggs and This. Is. Not. It).

Sprinkle with coriander and serve with warm crusty bread or pita that can be dipped into those perfectly runny eggs and rich, spiced sauce.

*If you’re feeling extra hungry, or are feeding a larger group, simply make more wells and add more eggs to the tomato mixture.

Tomatoes are the backbone of shakshuka – they’re almost the only thing all recipes have in common apart from eggs, although you can use them in different forms. If like us, you live in climes where perfectly ripe and non-watery tomatoes are but a distant dream, then we recommend following this recipe to a T and using the tinned variety. For those of you lucky enough to be reading this in sunnier circumstances, substitute the same weight of roughly chopped fresh tomatoes. Also feel free to mix up, or shake up, the peppers for aubergine, courgettes, artichokes or even boiled potatoes if you prefer.

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