Lamb shakshouka

Manja Wachsmuth

More often than not, this classic North African dish (which is now also a classic of modern Israel thanks to the Tunisian Jews who settled there) is vegetarian and, much as I am happy to eat it that way, I prefer this spiced up version containing lamb — although simply omit it if you prefer.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp	Olive oil
¼ tsp	Cumin seeds
½ tsp	Sesame seeds
2	Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2	Red capsicums, deseeded and sliced
2	Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp	Paprika, or cayenne pepper
150 g	Lean lamb, minced (optional) (Main)
6	Ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes and a little tomato pasta) (Main)
4	Eggs (Main)
50 ml	Plain yoghurt
1 small handful	Parsley, mint and coriander

Directions

1. Ideally you want to serve this in the dish you cook it in, so a large frying pan with a lid is good. Heat up the pan and add the olive oil, cumin and sesame seeds.
2. Once they begin to sizzle, add the onions, capsicums, garlic and paprika or cayenne pepper. Saute until the vegetables collapse, stirring frequently.
3. Add the mince (if using) and a little salt. Cook until the lamb crumbles, stirring all the time.
4. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then cook over moderate heat for 6–8 minutes, at which point much of the juice will have evaporated.
5. Make four impressions in the mixture and break an egg into each "hole".
6. Spoon on the yoghurt, put a lid on the pan and cook until the eggs have begun to set, but still have runny yolks.
7. Scatter with the shredded herbs and serve immediately, straight from the pan.

This recipe is from Peter Gordon's new book 'Eating Well Everyday'.

More recipes from Peter's book

• Linguine with minted pistachio pesto
• Red curried butternut, mushrooms and spinach