Shakshuka (as featured in the Donegal Rapeseed recipe book)

Shakshuka (pronounced shack-shoe-ka) – meaning mixture, is a popular Middle Eastern dish consisting of eggs poached in a delicious tomato based sauce.

A dish that is mainly seen on a brunch menu in Ireland, Shakshuka can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and is a fantastic one pan wonder – perfect for sharing.

Ingredients (Serves : 2-4)

• 2 tablespoons of Garlic Donegal Rapeseed Oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 red bell pepper
• ½ a courgette
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon of paprika/smoked paprika
• ½ a teaspoon of cayenne/chili powder
• Salt and black pepper
• ½ a teaspoon of sugar
• Two tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander
• ½ a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans*
• ½ a can of drained and rinsed cannelloni/butter beans*

*Alternatively – use 1 can of mixed beans

1. Dice up the pepper and courgette.
2. Gently heat the garlic rapeseed oil on a medium to high heat in a large frying pan/skillet. Add the courgette and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes.
3. Then, add all the dry spices and continue to cook for a further two minutes – stirring constantly.
4. Add in the tin of chopped tomatoes, the tomato purée, the sugar and the water. Lower the temperature to a simmering heat and allow the mixture to reduce and thicken for about ten minutes. Taste and season at this point too with some of the fresh coriander, salt and pepper.
5. One by one, make little wells in the mixture with a spoon and crack an egg into each one.
6. Leave the mixture for about 10-15 minutes depending on how you like your eggs. 10 minutes will give you nice runny yolks.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the fresh coriander over the Shakshuka and serve with some ciabatta or sourdough bread to mop up the tasty sauce.