This is a middle eastern dish with tomatoes and eggs, in Arabic the word ‘shakshuka’ means ‘mixture’

Often eaten as breakfast as it has the eggs in, but also is a staple meal all over the middle east.  I first tasted this dish in an Israeli cafe in Philadelphia and instantly fell in love, it is a great brunch recipe, and a good filling vegetarian dish.

• (serves 6)
• 12 tomatoes
• 1 large red pepper or 2 small, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp. harissa paste
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 heap tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 heap tsp brown sugar
• Sea salt to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• Eggs 2 per person
• A handful coriander
• Thick yoghurt/Labneh to serve
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

• Cut crosses in the tops of the tomatoes and place in hot water so you can remove the skin. Dice and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then gently cook the onion and pepper until soft.
• Add the cumin seeds and cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic, harissa, cayenne and both paprikas. Let this cook for a few minutes more, continue to stir. Then add the tomato paste, stir through before adding the fresh tomatoes.
• With a potato masher, mash the tomato up in the sauce a little bit to break it up. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and cook for 25 minutes.
• This can be made in advance and reheated once you are ready to cook the eggs.
• Crack eggs into a teacup, separately, then with a ladle make an indent in the hot sauce and gently pour in the egg into the hole, continue will all the eggs leaving space in between.
• Reduce the heat to the lowest and cover the pan, let the eggs cook gently until all the white is cooked and the yolk is runny. This should take around 10-12 minutes.
• When ready, serve with a sprinkle of coriander leaves, some dollops of the yoghurt/Labneh and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with bread.