Shakshuka

This is one of my favourite brunch dishes to make at home (and one I used to order at cafes all the time, pre-Covid). The combination of fragrant Middle-Eastern spices, rich tomato, capsicum and luscious, runny egg yolk will warm your heart and keep you satisfied all day until dinner!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbs olive oil

• a pinch of salt

• 2 tbs of harissa spice powder or harissa paste (find it at Coles/Coles Local)

• 2 tsp tomato paste

• 2 large red capsicums, chopped finely or chunky - up to you!

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tin of diced tomatoes

• 4 medium free-range eggs

• some chopped parsley to garnish

• labneh or Greek yoghurt to serve

• focaccia/thick bread. I recommend Afghan garlic bread, warmed up in the grill (they sell it at Coles Local)

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the harissa, tomato paste, capsicums, garlic, cumin and salt. Stir and cook for about 8 minutes until capsicum has softened.

2. Add the tomatoes and stir. Gently simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, uncovered, until you get a thick sauce. Taste to see if you need more salt.

3. Make 4 little dips in the sauce and gently break one egg into it's own dip. Use a fork or knife to careful swirl or blend the egg white a little with the sauce. Don't break the yolks though!

4. Simmer gently for another 8-10 minutes until egg whites become firm to your liking. You can put a lid on the pan to quicken the process, but this may overcook the yolks if you leave it on for too long.

5. Remove from the heat and let it stand for a couple of minutes to settle. Sprinkle with some parsley then serve with a healthy dollop of Greek yoghurt and some delicious bread to mop it all up!