Recipe Hall of Fame: Tomatoes and Eggs

On most days, I don't eat anything for breakfast. I tend to eat somewhat early lunch instead – when I'm on campus in the morning, I often go to the uni's canteen before noon, and otherwise I usually start preparing lunch early. So it's maybe a bit strange for me to include a dish in my recipe hall of fame that is generally considered a breakfast dish (unless, of course, we acknowledge that what tastes good in the morning probably also tastes good at another time).

With that in mind, on today's menu: tomatoes and eggs (plus a bunch of other things, probably).

The dish

Poached eggs in tomato sauce is known in the Arab world as "Shakshouka" (شكشوكة). I'm actually not sure where I heard that name for the first time, or when I first made it.

In any case, what I make doesn't come from or follow any concrete recipe, it's just something I picked up at some point. Therefore, I also don't claim that this is some kind of "authentic" shakshouka variant. I just think that the combination of tomatoes and eggs is simple and tasty.

Ingredients

Okay, there is a lot of potential for additions and variations, so I'll do it like last time and start with the basics (in my opinion):

• 1 onion
• garlic (I tend to use around 3 cloves and add some more dried garlic later)
• can of tomatoes
• eggs (around 3)
• spices (spice mixes are helpful, such as Ras el Hanout)
• olive oil
• Harissa chili paste

And you'll probably want to add some of this:

• bread to eat with (some nice Moroccan flat bread or similar is perfect, but anything works honestly)
• some fresh tomatoes
• some tomato paste
• Bell pepper (very common ingredient, but I often leave this out)
• a few raisins for some sweetness
• some other canned vegetable (e.g. grilled eggplants)
• some spicy sausage (Merguez, Chorizo, ...)
• some cheese
• herbs
• (preserved) lemon

Ok, I'll admit, preserved lemons are not that easy to find. I just listed them because my father recently made a batch of his own and gave me a jar. And man, they're awesome in this dish.

Instructions

1. Cut the onion in half-rings (cut off the ends, cut in half along the stem, peel, cut each half along the 'seams')
2. Peel and mince the garlic
3. Cut whatever else you're using into appropriate shapes
4. Now, if you're using sausages, fry them first. You can then use the rendered fat to fry the onions. If you don't use meat, fry the onions directly in olive oil. Here's the rest of the "frying order" (skip what you don't use):
   1. Once the onion has softened, add the garlic and fry for another minute
   2. Add and fry the paste(s). Use a good amount of Harissa!
   3. Add the bell pepper
   4. Add the fresh tomatoes
   5. Add the can of tomatoes (+ any other canned veg you're using). Use some water to get everything out from the can, if necessary.
   6. Add preserved lemons
5. Add raisins and cheese, if any.
6. Season it! Spices, herbs, salt, pepper. Let it gently bubble for a bit (and reduce if too liquid-y)
7. Make little holes in the sauce and crack the eggs into them
8. Let the eggs cook uncovered for a bit, then add a lid so the top cooks properly too. Watch the temperature, it's easy to accidentally burn the sauce since you don't move it around.
9. Serve with bread.

I often break up the eggs after they've been mostly cooked, so it ends up being kind of a mix between poached and scrambled. If you scramble the eggs completely, you'll basically get the Turkish tomatoes-and-egg dish menemen, which is otherwise pretty similar.