Friday 2 May 2008

Chakchouka baked eggs



Yeah - sorry, more eggs. As part of the whole weightloss, improved diet lifestyle, we're having a go at having fish once a week (WITHOUT added chorizo!) and a vegetarian meal once a week. We go through these phases.

So tonight we had chakchouka baked eggs - a variation on a dish I ate a lot when I was living in a flat I couldn't really afford. Tonight we had the the deluxe version... It's pretty similar to this but I added some bits. And if you are ever in Sydney, get yourself to Cafe Mint on Crown St for breakfast. Order - I insist - the spicy lamb mince with hummus & za-atar toast, and a side order of chakchouka. It will be the biggest breakfast you've eaten, but it is the most delicious thing ever served on a Saturday morning.

Anyhoo - for the recipe:

Chakchouka Baked Eggs (for 2)

Saute a large, sliced onion in olive oil in a heavy-based pan until translucent. Add 1tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp lightly crushed coriander seeds and continue to saute until the onion is getting quite floppy. Add 3 chopped cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika and 2 dried chillies, then 3 sliced peppers (any combination of peppers but not all green - that would be bitter and I suspect quite icky). When the peppers start to soften add a tin of chopped tomatoes and some salt and quite a lot of pepper. When the mixture comes to a simmer, crack 3 eggs into it (or 2 or 4 - I do 3 because I want 1 and my husband wants 2). Crumble a block of feta over the top and leave to simmer until the eggs are cooked and the feta has begun to melt.

The other thing I did was top it with courgette crisps for some extra veg and a bit of contrast. Slice your courgettes quite thinly, toss them in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 180-200C for 15-20 minutes or until browned but not black. Takes some watching. I usually do these to sprinkle over a courgette risotto for a texture contrast.

6 comments:

mscrankypants said...

Oh my god, smoked paprika, dried chillis and cumin in the same pan makes me drool longingly -- yum! I have dried a variation with long grain rice and the eggs are dropped in holes made in the last few minutes. I can't wait to try this version.

SSS said...

You know there's no chance of me making that but I could certainly get to Crown St.....

Alicia Foodycat said...

If you have access to Crown St, you really should! They don't open Sundays though, which is a trap I have fallen into on a few occasions. On the other hand, they serve breakfast until 4pm, and it is hard to argue with that!

Bettina Douglas said...

It is autumn downunder and there were chestnuts at the shops. I bought some to make a vegetable dish. Very tasty. But led to memories of when Foodycat was still a kitten and wanted her mother to make marrons glaces. Something I still don't have the patience (or the interest in confectionery) to be bothered with.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Yes, well those marron glaces were a learning experience! I buy them from a nice Frenchman in Edinburgh now. As long as Bertrand has the patience to make them, I will leave it to him! I had a lovely dish of pork with puy lentils and chestnuts last autumn - you should have a go at that!

Cath said...

Hiya, nice recipe! I made it today, here's what I put on
my blog.

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