Lamb shakshouka

Recipe by Peter Gordon

More often than not, this classic North African dish 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)
6 Ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes and a little tomato pasta)
4 Eggs
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.

2. Heat up the pan and add the olive oil, cumin and sesame seeds.

3. Once they begin to sizzle, add the onions, capsicums, garlic and paprika or cayenne pepper. Saute until the vegetables collapse, stirring frequently.

4. Add the mince (if using) and a little salt. Cook until the lamb crumbles, stirring all the time.

5. 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.

6. Make four impressions in the mixture and break an egg into each “hole”.

7. Spoon on the yoghurt, put a lid on the pan and cook until the eggs have begun to set, but still have runny yolks.

8. Scatter with the shredded herbs and serve immediately, straight from the pan.

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