BREAKFAST SHAKSHUKA

This is my go-to recipe for a lazy Sunday morning. It’s got everything you could want in a breakfast. I love spicy lamb merguez sausages, but if you can’t find them, replace them with uncured chorizo sausages. By the time this is ready, the aromas wafting through the house will be making everyone ravenous. Bring this dish straight to the table with some griddled sourdough or flatbread for the family to tuck in to.

SERVES 4

200 g (7 oz) merguez or uncured chorizo sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, very finely diced

1 green pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 heaped teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of chopped tomatoes

1 heaped teaspoon caster sugar

4 free-range eggs

100 g (3½ oz) feta cheese

Small handful of fresh dill, picked

Salt and pepper

Griddled sourdough or flatbread, to serve

CONVENTIONAL METHOD:

1 Fry the sausage in the oil in a large pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until browned, then add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook for a further 4–5 minutes. Add the paprika and cumin and cook for 1–2 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes. Bring up to a simmer, then cook over a low heat for 40 minutes, until slightly thickened. Towards the end of the cooking time, stir through the sugar and season with salt and pepper.

2 Make 4 wells in the tomato sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a further 8–10 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are set. Crumble over the feta, then sprinkle over the fresh dill and some freshly ground black pepper. Bring the pan straight to the table and serve with griddled sourdough or flatbread.

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

1 If you have time, brown the sausage in a frying pan for 3–4 minutes, then add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook for a further 4–5 minutes. Place all the ingredients in your slow cooker except for the eggs, feta and dill. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well. Pop the lid on and cook on the high setting for 3 hours.

2 Make 4 wells in the tomato sauce, then crack in the eggs, cover with the lid and cook for a further 15–20 minutes, until the whites are set. Crumble over the feta, then sprinkle over the fresh dill and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve with griddled sourdough or flatbread.

More deliciously simple recipes in Cook Slow by Dean Edwards