Shakshuka with Merguez

Ingredients

• 200 g spicy merguez sausages, sliced into 2–3 cm pieces
• 10 ml olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp salt, to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. 1

   Slice merguez and prep vegetables

   Cut the merguez sausages into bite-sized 2–3 cm rounds. Dice the onion, red pepper and green pepper into 1.5 cm pieces. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. Have a wide frying pan with a matching lid ready.

2. 2

   Brown the merguez sausages

   Warm 10 ml olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the sliced merguez and fry for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on the outside. Transfer the sausage pieces to a plate, leaving the rendered spiced reddish oil in the pan.

3. 3

   Sauté peppers and onions in sausage fat

   In the same pan with the rendered sausage fat, add the diced onion, red pepper and green pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 7–8 minutes until soft and fragrant, absorbing the rich spiced flavours.

4. 4

   Add garlic and spices

   Add the garlic, ground cumin and paprika. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices without burning the garlic.

5. 5

   Simmer sauce with merguez

   Stir in the chopped tomatoes, ¼ tsp salt, and return the browned merguez pieces to the pan. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces into a thick, cohesive stew.

6. 6

   Add eggs and cook with lid on

   Make four hollows in the sauce between the sausage pieces. Crack an egg into a cup and slide one into each hollow. Turn heat to low, cover with the lid, and cook for 6–9 minutes until the whites are fully set and opaque.

7. 7

   Garnish with parsley and serve

   Check that the whites immediately next to the yolks are completely cooked through. Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately straight from the pan with crusty baguette or pita bread.