We live in Newtown. We have to eat shakshouka. But most of the time we eat it for dinner, not breakfast. We feel no shame.
Ingredients
- healthy slug of olive oil
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 capsicum, seeded and thickly sliced
- 1 eggplant, cut into approx. 2cm dice
- 2–3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped,
- 1 tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes or equivalent ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1–2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 chorizo, thinly sliced
- 4–6 eggs
- fresh oregano
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frypan and add the onion, capsicum, eggplant and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally over a medium heat until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 8–10 minutes.
Add the garlic and chilli, and allow to cook for another couple of minutes.
Turn down the heat a little and add the tomatoes, vinegar and tomato paste. Stir and then allow to cook, covered, for another fifteen minutes or so, stirring occasionally. It will be done when the veggies have started to break down and the liquid has reduced a little.
Meanwhile, fry the slices of chorizo in another fry pan with a little oil till browned on both sides. Remove the chorizo and reserve the oil.
Place the chorizo slices in the vegetable mixture. Then make a dent in the mixture with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into the hollow. Continue until you have the required number of eggs in place, sprinkle with the oregano, then put the lid back on and let the eggs bake in the mixture till cooked. This will take about ten minutes or so.
Spoon an egg and some mixture into individual bowls, drizzle with a little chorizo oil, and serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Options
The mixture can be cooked ahead and reheated before putting in the eggs.
Or you can come over more traditional and pour the mixture into four ovenproof bowls of the right dimensions, crack the eggs into each and finish the baking in the oven.
You can also add fresh basil and pitted olives with the chorizo if you feel inclined. Or add other vegetables or mushrooms (though always keep the capsicum, onion and tomato as the base). Feta can replace the chorizo if you want the dish to be vegetarian (just don’t fry it first).
Enjoy!