Shakshouka - by Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar

Ingredients

"Shakshouka is a beloved Middle Eastern tomato and egg dish that is often eaten for breakfast or supper. There are a million variations. Here's how we make ours – it's an easy fireside meal that will serve 2 to 3 people, depending on how hungry they are!" ~ Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar.

1 onion, finely diced
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Large pinch of cumin seeds
1 L (4 cups) tomato passata or 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) tomatoes, chopped
1 red capsicum (pepper), sliced
1 heaped tsp paprika
2 handful of herbs, chopped (basil, oregano or whatever you have)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 fresh eggs
2 Tbs crumbled feta cheese

Method

Take a cast iron frying pan or other heavy frying pan and fry the onion in a slosh of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cumin seeds and fry for a few more minutes. Stir in the passata or chopped tomatoes, capsicum and paprika. Simmer until the tomatoes and capsicum are tender and the mixture has thickened a bit.

Sprinkle the chopped herbs and crumbled feta over the tomato mixture and season, to taste. Make four small holes in the surface – this will help the eggs stay put. Carefully crack an egg into each hole. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 5–10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Spoon the shakshouka onto serving plates and eat with some crusty bread spread with lashings of butter, and a green salad.

Credits: Images and recipes from Milkwood by Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar, Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00 Photography by Kate Berry and Kirsten Bradley, Illustrations by Brenna Quinlan