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ike the majority of the country, we’ve opted for a meat-free-Monday in our household of two proud carnivores. So Shakshuka was on this Monday’s menu. Except that, I’ll admit, half way through cooking I feared it might be bland and, you know, ‘tomatoey’, so I added some diced, fried and oily chorizo pieces. Oops. It tasted delicious but is by no means authentic to the true Tunisian delight. So please omit if you’ve more restraint than me. It is not bland in the slightest. As a very strong advocate of powerful, punchy flavours, plenty of crumbled rich feta and a good squeeze of lime served nicely at the table will ensure this fits for a celebratory Monday feast.

It works nicely when my boyfriend has a football game to watch so I can blog merrily in the background and offer culinary support. I’ll give him praise though. He was the one who taught me patience with eggs. I am not the patient type when it comes to eggs. Until now. Since recently perfecting my oozing scrambled, I thought it time to give this tasty dish another try. The first try post is still in my drafts…

Serving suggestion include yoghurt or labneh as a side, flatbreads, warm pittas or some crusty sourdough bread to mop up the juices. I served mine in the middle of the table so we could all dig in!

Serves 2 (greedy as a main dinner/brunch)

Serves 4 (as a light breakfast)

• 2 red peppers, chopped (you can chop finely or chunky, depends how you want the final dish consistency)
• 2 red onions, sliced finely
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can tinned tomatoes
• 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced finely
• 1 red chilli, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• Pinch cayenne
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 free range eggs
• 80g approx feta
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• Coriander, chopped to serve
• 1 lime

1. Heat a large shallow frying pan on a medium heat and add a splash of olive/sunflower oil. *This will be the pan you make the final dish in so choose wisely.
2. Gently fry the red onion for about 8 minutes until turning translucent and softening. Season.
3. Add the sliced peppers and chorizo and cook until the peppers are soft and the chorizo releases its oils. Season.
4. Add the garlic and chopped chilli and fry for a few more minutes.
5. Add the spices to the pan and stir to combine. Cook out for a few minutes.
6. Turn the heat up a touch and add the red wine vinegar. Let this bubble and reduce before adding the chopped tomatoes and the tinned tomatoes. Stir to combine. 
7. Top up with enough hot water to form a good consistency and a nice bed for the eggs.
8. Turn the heat right down to a low simmer and make 4 wells in the mixture. Break the eggs directly, or via a mug, and pour into the wells.
9. Now for the patience. Let this cook gently for about 10-12 minutes on the hob. Cover with a lid or a large piece of foil after about 5 minutes to ensure the whites cook through.
10. When the whites are just set, remove from the heat. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime. Scatter over the crumbled feta and then finally scatter over the sliced spring onions and coriander.
11. Serve immediately with warm flatbread or crusty bread.