SHAKSHUKA

Shakshuka (serves 2-4)

This North African dish makes a fantastic brunch. You can make it meat-free

if you prefer but we added some Pigolatas, tasty little chipolata sausages

from Powters of Newmarket.

They’re made to a traditional recipe and in 2012 Newmarket sausages, made

by just three firms, Powters, Musk’s and Tennant’s, were granted Protected

Geographical Indicator of Origin (PGI) status. Each company has its own

recipe so try them all!

Ingredients:

6-8 chipolata sausages

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into half moons

4 red, yellow or green peppers, preferably a mixture, de-seeded and sliced

into 1.5 cm strips

1 tspn soft brown sugar

About 300g cherry tomatoes

1/2 tspn cumin seeds

3-4 heaped tspn harissa, to taste (optional) or a good pinch of cayenne

1 heaped tspn sweet paprika

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from the stem

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Water

1-2 eggs per person

Fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan or skillet and fry the sausages until brown all over. Remove and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and fry gently until soft and golden. Stir in the cumin seeds and cook for a minute or two more.

Now add the sliced peppers and sugar, stir well and turn the heat to high. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the peppers are beginning to colour on the edges. Lower the heat, stir in the paprika and cayenne, and cook for one minute.Add the tomatoes, the harissa or cayenne and the herbs and season with black pepper and a little salt.

Cook gently for 15-20 minutes until you have a thick sauce, adding water if it reduces too much. Taste and adjust the seasoning and put the sausages back in the pan.

Make as many hollows in the mixture as you have eggs and break one into each dip. Put on a lid and cook on a very low heat for around 10 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. Scatter over some fresh coriander and serve with hunks of good bread for dunking and scooping.